Elimination of the Fourth Ammendment: Freedom and Privacy
analytical Essay
869 words
How dare the government completely disregard the constitution and eliminate the fourth amendment. It is not necessary to collect all of the US citizen’s data and invade their privacy in order to fight terrorism. The government tells the people it is necessary because they have a secret agenda. The burden of worrying about someone reading one’s emails, listening to one’s phone calls, and ultimately invading one’s privacy is called tyranny. The absence of those worries is called liberty. In recent times the US government has been called out, on numerous occasions by whistle-blowers, about some of the secrets they are keeping from the public. “Leaking information is very dangerous. The Obama Administration has embarked on a war on whistle-blowers, pursuing them -- both legally and through intimidation -- further than any previous administration has done. Mark Klein, Thomas Drake, and William Binney have all been persecuted for exposing technical details of our surveillance state. Bradley Manning has been treated cruelly and inhumanly -- and possibly tortured -- for his more-indiscriminate leaking of State Department secrets.” These whistle-blowers should be looked upon as heroes- not criminals. Their only purpose for leaking all this classified information is to protect the people from abuse of power. Americans are learning that the government is not keeping these secrets because it is necessary but because much of what they are doing is illegal. In order for a democracy to work, the system must be completely transparent. By the people allowing their government to keep so many secrets, they are ultimately allowing democracy to be replaced with a police state. There are many people who say that they have nothing to hide, so they ... ... middle of paper ... ...ay we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free (Brown).” Works Cited Dr. Boaz, Cynthyia. “Fourteen Propaganda Techniques Fox "News" Uses to Brainwash Americans.” Truthout. Saturday, 02 July 2011 04:17. News Analysis. Web. 18 September 2013. Brown, Floyd. “We deserve our freedoms even if we have nothing to hide.” Capitol Hill Daily. 17 June 2013. Web. 9 September 2013. Hagler, Frank. “Why The NDAA Bill is Even Scarier Than You Thought.” Policymic. 15 December 2012. Web. 4 December 2013. Schneier, Bruce. “What We Don't Know About Spying on Citizens: Scarier Than What We Know.” The Atlantic. 6 June 2013, 12:24 pm. Web. 3 December 2013. Watson, Steve. “Scientific Poll: 84% Reject Official 9/11 Story.” PrisionPlanet.com. 14 October 2006. Web. 2 December 2013.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the american government operates in secret, so no one has any idea what the government does with the data they collect.
- Opines that the us government is not keeping secrets because it is necessary but because much of what they are doing is illegal.
- Argues that the government's strategy is to keep everyone scared. the war on terrorism is clearly a front for one party dictatorship.
- Analyzes dr. boaz's article, "fourteen propaganda techniques fox "news" uses to brainwash americans."
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- Analysis of the 4th Amendmentanalytical essayThe Bill of Rights or the first 10 amendments to the Constitution was proposed to Congress in 1789 by James Madison in response to the Anti- Federalist movement that lobbied for an extended amount of rights that would further safeguard liberty. The 4th amendment in particular was drafted to acknowledge the abuse of the writ of assistance, a “search warrant” issued by the British government to search boats that were thought to contain smuggled material in Colonial America. The 4th amendment can be broken down into 3 parts: what activities are considered to be a “search” or a “seizure”; what is a probable cause for a “search” and “seizure” and finally, how violations should be dealt with. The evolution of the 4th amendment is long and tumultuous, starting from what it meant at time of drafting, to the controversy over different interpretations in modern times. Through all the controversies and the debate over the meaning of the 4th amendment, the essence is always the same: to protect man’s liberty.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the 4th amendment was drafted to acknowledge the abuse of the writ of assistance, a "search warrant" issued by the british government to search boats that were thought to contain smuggled material.
- Explains that the 4th amendment dates back to pre-revolutionary america, where britain issued writs of assistance to cut down on smuggling to and from the colonies.
- Argues that general warrants, whereby any officer or messenger may be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, are grievous and oppressive.
- Explains that the bill of rights guarantees that no person will be able to search and seize any of your things without a cause supported by evidence that has been presented and approved. the 4th amendment protects man's liberty by making sure that people in power have limitations to what they can do.
- Explains the 4th amendment's "search" and "seizure" clause and what it entails.
- Explains that to search or seize a person's property, the law enforcer must present evidence that the person has prohibited goods or was involved in criminal acts.
643 wordsRead More - In his article “Preserving civil liberties in an age of terrorism” Ivan Eland stated that actions by the government that infringes on civil liberties stretch and abuse its power. Furthermore, time and resources could be spent on more effect measures to prevent terrorist attacks than mass surveillance (Eland). Eland is referring to the United States government spying on its citizens. The government is empowered to do this through The Patriot Act 2001. Signed by President George Bush it allowed the government to use tools available to them to monitor citizen’s communications to obtain information (United States Department of Justice). The problem with such legislations is that it empowers the government to infringe on citizen’s right to privacy by tapping into their private lives. The Patriot Act directly violates the fourth Amendment which states citizen are protected against unwarranted searches and seizures by the government. Robert Bork in his article “Civil Liberties After 9/11” puts it perfectly stating civil rights of United States citizen are being systematically broken down and must be taken seriously.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that settlers suffered greatly at the hands of the british monarchs before the american revolutionary war.
- Explains that when the united states government is threatened or violated, it usually establishes harsh laws and restriction on its citizens in an attempt to increase security.
- Argues that the trade-off between the preservation of a society and civil liberties by the united states government is unjust and overreaching with very low success rate.
- Explains that some americans agree with the steps the united states government has taken to increase the nation's security.
- Explains that the united states fight against terrorism without eroding civil liberties is a balancing act.
- Cites bork, robert h., doherty, carroll, and eland, ivan. civil liberties in a age of terrorism.
880 wordsRead More - Benefits Of The Fourth Amendmentexplanatory essay“They may identify potential leads with respect to folks who might engage in terrorism, if these folks — if the intelligence community then actually wants to listen to a phone call, they’ve got to go back to a federal judge, just like they would in a criminal investigation.”(Obama’s remarks) President Obama said this in an interview regarding the NSA’s work on surveillance to protect the country while also following the Fourth amendment’s Guidelines. The fourth amendment can be beneficial to the government by allowing them to legally conduct search and seizures. The Fourth Amendment also allows law enforcement to access suspect’s phones and any electronic devices. It also allows law enforcement to access all suspects’ files. Even though, The Fourth Amendment can help Law Enforcement it can also invade privacy. Although some believe the Fourth Amendment promotes invasion of privacy, it is beneficial to the government because it helps protect citizens from illegal search and seizures, allows the IRS to access foreigners, and in some cases American’s emails/phones, and helps law enforcement access suspects’ files.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the fourth amendment can be beneficial to the government by allowing them to legally conduct search and seizures. it also allows law enforcement to access suspect’s phones and electronic devices.
- Explains that the fourth amendment protects citizens from illegal searches and seizures. it also helps law enforcement access phones to find evidence.
- Explains that the fourth amendment allows the nsa to conduct searches of phone records to find evidence of a crime.
- Explains that the fourth amendment is beneficial because it helps law enforcement access suspect’s files. the dea must be granted a warrant to search suspected drug dealers or drug growers’ files or electric bill payment records.
- Explains that the fourth amendment can be beneficial but it can also invade privacy of american citizens.
- Explains that the fourth amendment helps law enforcement and the government in many ways to find evidence of a crime, to terminate some crimes, and to terrorism, but some citizens think that government being able to access all files, phone records and conduct search and seizures is illegal and unconstitutional.
888 wordsRead More - American Rights to Privacyanalytical essayIn 1787, the constitution was born. The constitution has been America’s guideline to the American way of life. Our US constitution has many points in it to protect America and it’s people from an overpowered government, our economy, and ourselves. The only thing the constitution doesn’t directly give us, is our right to privacy, and our right to privacy has been a big concern lately courtesy of the National Security Agency (NSA).(#7) Although our constitution doesn’t necessarily cover the privacy topic, it does suggest that privacy is a given right. Some people say that the right to privacy was so obvious, that our founding fathers didn’t even feel the need to make a point about it.(#9) It also didn’t help that they probably didn’t know that we would have the technology we do today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the us constitution protects america and its people from overpowering government, economy, and ourselves. the right to privacy is a given right.
- Analyzes the patriot act, which allows the government to spy on law-abiding citizens to ensure they don't do anything suspicious.
- Explains that 91% of american adults own or have used cell phones. when people buy a cell phone, they sign their privacy rights away.
- Opines that people in the us still have privacy, but it has been breached by ourselves. social media, phones, internet, and other things have been able to give up our information without our knowing.
641 wordsRead More - The Fourth Amendment Of A Citizen's Right To Privacyopinion essayEvery citizen should have a basic right to privacy when they are using technology. This is another thing that the Fourth Amendment covers. The Fourth Amendment basically states that the government is not allowed to use your personal technology against you. Just because personal information is not physically there, but on the Internet or on a computer, it does not give the government the right to use it against
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the fourth amendment gives every citizen a right to privacy.
- Opines that the fourth amendment does not incorporate technology and internet privacy, and courts have interpreted parts of it differently.
- Opines that every citizen should have a basic right to privacy when using technology. the fourth amendment states that the government is not allowed to use your personal technology against you.
- Explains how the government used technology against citizens when they shouldn't be. the supreme court case was called "department of justice v. microsoft."
- Analyzes how the government has used computers to gain access to private information since the begging of when computers were just beginning to be used.
- Analyzes how the fbi contacted apple to unlock an iphone that had vital information about a suspect in the recent shooting in san bernardino california. the ceo of apple refused to give authorization of unlocking the phone.
- Explains that privacy is important to protect because it allows us to make our own decisions. the constitution does not say so directly, but it provides amendments that clarify the privacy and protection that is given to citizens.
- Explains that the privacy act of 1974 imposes new requirements on the federal government's handling of individuals' personal and private information.
- Explains that federal agencies collect and use a large amount of information about individuals and this information is important for people seeking government benefits, licenses or employment.
- Explains that antoine jones was arrested for drug possession in october 2012, after the police attached a tracker to his car without the approval of the court.
- Opines that technology has certainly changed the way our information is used, but it shouldn't affect any citizen's constitutional rights and private identity.
1522 wordsRead More - Throughout the history, the American government preserved the privacy rights of the people 's privacy by the fourth amendment of the constitution. However, after 9/11 everything has changed. National Security Agency started national surveillance on possibly every internet connection.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the 4th amendment of the american constitution, which was introduced to the us congress in 1789 and passed to be a part
- Explains that facebook's statement of rights and responsibilities acts as the user’s guidelines, and twitter considers all users’ content private and protected by the ip law as copyrighted materials.
- Explains that the us government has started spying on american citizens since the 60s, but their targets were antiwar activists, civil rights leaders, and nonviolent dissident political groups.
- Explains that nsa and dhs gave themselves the right to monitor, collect, and analyze citizens' data from email providers and social media websites.
- Argues that the goal of the nsa's surveillance is nearly captured by quotas from its top-secret presentations.
1502 wordsRead More - The Patriot Act: Trampling on the Bill of Rightsopinion essaySeveral weeks after the horrible terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act was rushed through Congress by Attorney General, John Ashcroft. This particular Act, however, was established with a ruling hand of fear. Life for Americans changed dramatically in those immediate days, weeks, and months after the attack. America had been spoiled with luxury for so long, that the illusion of control had ingrained itself into our very nature as Americans. That act of terror, on September 11, 2001, brought that belief crashing down, almost immediately. Fear and anger were rampant though out America; a dangerous combination when it comes to charging out a Congressional bill. The scariest parts of The USA PATRIOT ACT, in my opinion, are not just the arguably unconstitutional sections proposed in the Act, but the timing and expedition of legislation. To propose a bill that remained indifferent in regards to sacrificing civil liberties for the sake of enhanced security. The Bill was voted in with near unanimity, 98-1 in the Senate and 357-66 in the House of Representatives near after. Considering the margins of the votes, it makes one wonder if anyone in Congress even bothered to read the bill. Perhaps a good portion of our legislators were fearful to look unpatriotic, by objecting a radical bill dubbed The USA PATRIOT Act. As an old phrase goes, the nail that stands-out, gets hammered. The congressional legislative process is supposed to be deliberately slow; ensuring that what is proposed is in fact constitutional. One of the more serious issues with the USA PATRIOT Act, is the ambiguity of crucia...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the usa patriot act was rushed through congress by attorney general john ashcroft, but was established with a ruling hand of fear.
- Analyzes how section 215 in the usa patriot act is one of the more critically addressed problems of this already controversial piece of legislation.
- Opines that the constitution was meant to be more organic and less bureaucratic. the usa patriot act amends the foreign intelligence surveillance act (fisa).
- Opines that such powerful changes in law should never be taken lightly, especially when they trample on civil liberties guaranteed to each citizen. john ashcroft and george w. bush both seemed bent on a crusade of revenge, at whatever cost.
- Opines that john ashcroft's patriot act is constitutional, and that he is either virtuous or blind to the potential erosion of civil liberties.
- Explains that russ feingold, a democrat senator from wisconsin, was the only member of the senate to vote against the usa patriot act.
- Explains how the usa patriot act was introduced to the house, where it was approved by the yeas and nays.
- Opines that americans should take a deeper look at the importance of the bill of rights.
2024 wordsRead More - Essay On Government Surveillanceopinion essayEven If You Have 'Nothing To Hide'." Reason 45.5 (2013): 28-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that secretive surveillance snoops have been accruing long before 9/11. the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001 gave the u.s. government an excuse to rationalize the overwhelmingly large increase in government surveillance.
- Opines that it is foolish to assume that government officials will be able to contain all the data they gather. snowden publicizing america's alleged intelligence-collection programs exposed the united states and caused substantial political harm.
- Opines that even if you have 'nothing to hide', reason 45.5 (2013): 28-30. academic search complete.
- Opines that bombing as politics of terrorism shift.
- Argues that government surveillance is regulated, but its effectiveness is questionable. the nsa's whistleblower thomas drake was indicted under the espionage act.
844 wordsRead More - The Patriot Act: Keeping America Safeopinion essayEwing, Alphonse B., and Charles Doyle. The USA Patriot Act Reader. New York: Novinka, 2005. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states was shaken when the twin towers of the world trade center fell and thousands were killed. the government had to find out why this atrocity had happened, and stop it from happening again.
- Explains that the usa patriot act was approved by both the house of representatives and senate with very little opposition and was signed into law by president george w. bush.
- Explains that before september 11, terrorism concerned many people, but it didn't seem a personal threat to the citizens of the united states. the government and its citizens were largely unaware of al qaeda, to which the attacks were later linked.
- Opines that if the government exercised more authority, the bombings could have been stopped.
- Describes how the justice department drafted a new law to prevent the twin towers from happening again. the usa patriot act cut restrictions and limitations on the judicial branch, allowing officials to father information more effectively.
- Analyzes how the patriot act became a debate over national security versus individual liberties.
- Explains that section 215 of the patriot act allows law officials to search and seize library records without informing the suspected terrorist.
- Explains that the first amendment does not protect a person's speech if the "gag order" keeps national security and is the least they can do to protect.
- Explains that the supreme court allows such searches because informing the suspect that he is under surveillance gives him the opportunity to hide any incriminating evidence, alert his partners, rush the plan, or flee the country.
- Opines that the patriot act violates the fourth amendment, which states, "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, shall not be violated."
- Explains that the patriot act's articles on electronic investigation are amendments to existing laws. the fisa foreign intelligence surveillance act allowed authorities to use wiretaps and other investigative tools on one stationary phone.
- Argues that the patriot act infringes upon the fourth amendment rights through the slackened restrictions on searches through personal property.
- Opines that the usa patriot act is a constitutional bill that promises to keep america safe from terrorist attacks.
- Explains that freedom of speech and press: exceptions to the first amendment.
1924 wordsRead More - We Must All Take a Stand Against The Patriot Act!analytical essayA stranger has access to an American’s DNA, house, phone calls, text messages, and the very location he or she is located in at the moment. America the free? The Patriot Act allows this heinous invasion to occur and allows government agents to access personal information on any individual they suspect. The Patriot Act allows Americans to be under constant surveillance this provision applies to suspected terrorists, but that definition is loose and it is easy for the government to label anyone as a suspected terrorist to start gathering information on them. Furthermore, The Patriot act uses racial profiling in choosing anyone who is a Muslim immigrant and is particularly from the Middle-East. Lastly, The Patriot Act goes against the Constitution particularly the First, Fourth, and Fifth Constitutional Amendments. The Patriot Act is an invasion of personal privacy, racist in choosing its suspected terrorists, and is a constant assault on the Constitution.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the patriot act allows government agents to access personal information on any individual they suspect. it is an invasion of personal privacy, racist in choosing its suspected terrorists and a constant assault on the constitution.
- Argues that the government's access to personal records and phone calls is a violation of privacy. the fourth amendment protects privacy against inequitable searches, but how far will americans go to secure their safety?
- Analyzes how the patriot act invades privacy, turns against the constitution and uses racial profiling as a safe and acceptable alternative for seeking out terrorists.
- Argues that the patriot act violates the fourth amendment by failing to provide notice to people whose privacy has been compromised.
766 wordsRead More - Controversy ove the Patriot Actopinion essayTo some, the United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) act is a law essential to winning the War on Terrorism; for others, this act is viewed with utmost contempt for its Orwellian nature allowing Big Brother to read your email and look through your library records. The security versus liberty debate prevails with both sides citing legal and ethical reasons in support or in opposition to this controversial act.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the united and strengthening america by providing appropriate tools to intercept and obstruct terrorism (usa patriot) act is viewed with utmost contempt for its orwellian nature. the security versus liberty debate prevails.
- Explains that the usa patriot act's stated purpose is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the united states and around the world, and enhance law enforcement investigatory tools.
- Explains that critics of the usa patriot act are unified in their claim that the law is unconstitutional.
- Opines that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists.
- Analyzes the political diversity of the opposition to the usa patriot act. the freedom to read protection act, which would disallow the federal government to search library records, was introduced by bernie sanders and c.l.
- Opines that the usa patriot act is the main plank in the bush administration's war on terror. many americans are willing to give up some civil liberties for the sake of security.
- Opines that we have a responsibility to the people of this nation to ensure that those charged with protecting us from future terrorist attacks are empowered to do so.
- Explains that supporters of the usa patriot act believe that security and safety are more important than civil liberties when america is at war.
- Analyzes how supporters of the usa patriot act use ethical reasoning to justify sacrificing liberty for a sense of security.
- Explains that those who oppose the usa patriot act have their own ethical justification for doing so. everyone's civil liberties must be protected.
- Opines that the usa patriot act infringes upon civil liberties. they disagree with benjamin franklin's statement.
- States that they felt the chilling effect of the climate instilled in a post-september 11, patriot act america.
- Explains that supporters of the usa patriot act value security over constitutional liberty and can use the machiavellian ethic as justification. opponents believe nothing should override civil liberties.
- Cites works citeddoe v. ashcroft. no. 04 civ 2614. united states district court. southern district of new york.
- Analyzes the case of the muslim community association of ann arbor v. john ashcroft in the united states district court.
2102 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On Privacyanalytical essayIn the recent year and a half, citizens of almost every nation were exposed to information regarding the mass surveillance used by many governments to spy on their citizens. This information, released by Edward Snowden, confirms the long held theory that mass amounts of data regarding the personal habits and communications of individuals were being collected and stored. This revelation has given rise to a serious new debate: just how many civil liberties and rights should citizens allow their government to ignore in the name of “security”?
In this essay, the author
- Argues that state-guided censorship in the united kingdom is an egregious case of hypocrisy and is a strong move away from freedom.
- Analyzes how cameron and company recognize the effectiveness of government censorship employed in authoritarian states in suppressing resistance.
- Argues that modern western government legislation is broken, ineffective, and useless. the idea that a government project of this magnitude could be so horribly broken is laughable.
- Argues that cameron's pornography filter violates civil liberties, democratic process, and free speech. they argue that it ignores the realities of government surveillance.
- Analyzes the counter-argument that a filter blocking pornography from children represents no threat to these large concepts and ideas. restricting information from the public is an obvious attack on public forum and democratic process.
- Opines that cameron and his followers have successfully implemented their pornography filter based on a blatant lie and appeal to values of the public.
- Argues that the government's "pornography filter" is an affront to the privacy and security of individuals browsing the web.
- Analyzes how cameron's pornography filter is surprisingly ineffective and inconsequential.
2153 wordsRead More - Privacy invasionopinion essayGovernment is society’s instrument in such affairs if we wish for it to protect us against quacks, frauds, swindlers, maniacs and criminals, we must give them the powers of prosecution, punishment and licensing. Earlier in 2013, Edward J. Snowden, a government contractor, leaked classified documents to the news media that revealed the existence of top-secret government surveillance programs. Majority of Americans showed disapproval about the United States government’s co...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that privacy is the state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life or affairs. technology has forced people to give up their privacy in many different ways.
- Opines that government is society's instrument in such affairs. snowden leaked classified documents to the news media that revealed the existence of top-secret government surveillance programs.
- Explains that the foreign intelligence surveillance act of 1978 prescribes procedures for requesting judicial authorization for electronic surveillance and physical search of people engaged in espionage or international terrorism against the united states.
- Opines that invasion of privacy occurs not only in the government, but also in interaction between people, such as parents.
- Opines that some people invade on a love one's privacy because they care, but not always the case. for instance, significant others going through each others phone without them knowing is an invasion of privacy.
- Opines that if people do not have anything to hide then why is it a big deal? the nsa program has helped keep citizens safe and that’s all that matters.
547 wordsRead More - The Effectiveness of Whistleblowinganalytical essayChen, Adrian. "After 30 Years of Silence, the Original NSA Whistleblower Looks Back." Gawker. N.p., 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that our country was built on the underdog story, of standing strong in the face of hopelessness against great britain.
- Defines a whistleblower as any person who exposes an organization involved in contraband activity. its success depends on the strength of the organization under scrutiny, receptiveness of public to the issue, and the magnitude of offense.
- Opines that whistleblowing against the united states government is not the best method since it has a high personal cost and is ineffective.
- Analyzes how the nsa was accused of sweeping surveillance programs by perry fellwock, who grew disillusioned with america's war efforts. the case demonstrates the ineffectiveness of whistleblowing against the american government
- Analyzes how the united states government encourages whistleblowing when it is done against corporations, such as the cheryl d. eckard versus glaxosmithkline case.
- Explains that whistleblowers are rewarded in individual vs. corporation cases, but penalized in government cases.
- Analyzes how the "edward snowden/ wikileaks model" of releasing information in an extremely public way gained the cases some attention.
- Opines that whistleblowing could be the best chance to succeed. the scope of both the wikileaks and snowden cases shows its increased potential in the digital age.
- Cites wikipedia's list of whistleblowers and the national conference of state legislatures' state whistle blower laws.
- Analyzes how glaxo to pay $750 million for sale of bad products.
- Opines that whistleblowing is an effective tool in the fight against corruption.
886 wordsRead More