Does Your Right to Know Supersede Your Right to Exist? Part 1
On 700 WLW, an AM radio station in Cincinnati, Gary Burbank has a character which is a radio news reporter. While I cannot remember the character's name, I can clearly remember the character's tag line. “Your right to know supersedes your right to exist.” Of course this is a joke... right?
Well, today our news outlets are publishing leaks from within our government on the inner workings of the NSA. Programs put in place to protect Americans from another terrorist attack. If terrorists listen to our media and learn how to circumvent our security to kill us, then we will be giving up our “right to exist” in order to feed our “right to know”, and those who leaked the information, as well as those who published it can honestly say that in their opinion “Your right to know supersedes your right to exist.” Let us look into whether it is a good or bad thing for the media to publish secret government projects used to protect us.
In this post, let's look at the information leaked, and whether or not this type of information should be leaked. Then, in my next post we can look at the leakers, and those who publish those leaks.
The first leak was that the NSA was tapping phone calls between American phones and international phones when one of the people on the phone is suspected of being a terrorist. The second is that they are keeping a database of virtually every phone number called or received in the U. S., domestic and international.
Polls have shown that the vast majority of Americans do not have a problem with our government tapping calls, without a warrant, between suspected terrorists, even if one end of the call is in the U.S. I would bet that most would not have a problem even if both ends were in the U.S. Additionally, several members of congress from both parties have been informed of this for years and NOT one has said they thought it was illegal or unconstitutional. Obviously the person who leaked the information, and the press who released it, thought that public opinion would be different, or they probably would not have done it. As I see it, if Osama bin Laden calls me, I give my government permission to listen in. And the polls indicate most Americans agree.
The next thing leaked was that the government was keeping a database of ALL calls made to and from all U.S. Phones domestic and international. Not recordings, just the numbers dialed. Not your name, just the numbers dialed. Not your address, just the numbers dialed.
Honestly, this one scared me. Before the use of this information was disclosed I had huge problems with this. The potential for abuse is great. But, after hearing how it is used, the potential to stop a terrorist attack is also great. So, should our government do this to protect us from terror or not do it to protect us from our government?
The reason for this database is so that when our government finds out about a phone that a terrorist has used they can check all numbers which called that number and all numbers called from that number to find the rest of the “cell”. So, for example, had our government had this before September, 11th and had they suspected Mohamed Atta they could have checked all who called him and all he called and MAYBE connected enough dots before hand to have stopped it.
After finding out how the database is used, and as long as it is not misused, I do not have a problem with it. I appreciate knowing this to set my mind at ease about the government's activities. However, in order to put my mind at ease (and yours as well) we have given terrorists all over the world information which could allow them to pull of a terrorist attack without prior detection. Is that worth it?
America is an open society. The warm light of day is very antiseptic. However, don't you think that there are some things we should not make public? Can we all agree that some activities of our government, in spying on those who would harm us, MUST be kept secret in order to protect us?
There is an easy answer, and it is already in place. It may need to be tweaked, but it is probably our best option. Right now the executive branch (N.S.A.) is involved in secret activities to keep us safe. These cannot be made public without informing the terrorists. Therefore, several members of congress, from both houses, and BOTH parties have oversight. They have been told about these activities since they started, and have given their blessing. That means that Republican leaders in congress, and Democratic leaders in congress are looking out for us to make sure that these are legal and necessary.
We have to trust SOMEONE to make these calls. We CANNOT make these calls, as a nation, by broadcasting to the world what we are dong so that we can all make up our minds. So, in whom do you have trust?
If you do not trust the leadership of either party then let's come up with a special board to oversee such things. These people must sign a contract that if they leak ANY of these secrets they will go to prison for life, without parole, and without visitors so they cannot tell anything else. They can publicly state that they agree with what is being done or they disagree with it. NOTHING more.
Think of our country as YOUR house. You have locks and alarm systems in place to protect YOUR family. You want to give every responsible member of your family the code for the alarm. What if the ONLY way to give the code to your family was to publish the code along with your address in the newspaper? This way the irresponsible members of the family get the code as well as ever thief, rapist and murderer in town.
Does that make sense?
Would an alarm protect your family if you published this?
Would you be a responsible head of household if you published that information about your family's home security in the paper?
Would our President be a responsible head of state if he were to publicize secret programs put in place to protect Americans?
Do you really want him to do so?
Read more about it...
USATODAY.com - NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!
Well, today our news outlets are publishing leaks from within our government on the inner workings of the NSA. Programs put in place to protect Americans from another terrorist attack. If terrorists listen to our media and learn how to circumvent our security to kill us, then we will be giving up our “right to exist” in order to feed our “right to know”, and those who leaked the information, as well as those who published it can honestly say that in their opinion “Your right to know supersedes your right to exist.” Let us look into whether it is a good or bad thing for the media to publish secret government projects used to protect us.
In this post, let's look at the information leaked, and whether or not this type of information should be leaked. Then, in my next post we can look at the leakers, and those who publish those leaks.
The first leak was that the NSA was tapping phone calls between American phones and international phones when one of the people on the phone is suspected of being a terrorist. The second is that they are keeping a database of virtually every phone number called or received in the U. S., domestic and international.
Polls have shown that the vast majority of Americans do not have a problem with our government tapping calls, without a warrant, between suspected terrorists, even if one end of the call is in the U.S. I would bet that most would not have a problem even if both ends were in the U.S. Additionally, several members of congress from both parties have been informed of this for years and NOT one has said they thought it was illegal or unconstitutional. Obviously the person who leaked the information, and the press who released it, thought that public opinion would be different, or they probably would not have done it. As I see it, if Osama bin Laden calls me, I give my government permission to listen in. And the polls indicate most Americans agree.
The next thing leaked was that the government was keeping a database of ALL calls made to and from all U.S. Phones domestic and international. Not recordings, just the numbers dialed. Not your name, just the numbers dialed. Not your address, just the numbers dialed.
Honestly, this one scared me. Before the use of this information was disclosed I had huge problems with this. The potential for abuse is great. But, after hearing how it is used, the potential to stop a terrorist attack is also great. So, should our government do this to protect us from terror or not do it to protect us from our government?
The reason for this database is so that when our government finds out about a phone that a terrorist has used they can check all numbers which called that number and all numbers called from that number to find the rest of the “cell”. So, for example, had our government had this before September, 11th and had they suspected Mohamed Atta they could have checked all who called him and all he called and MAYBE connected enough dots before hand to have stopped it.
After finding out how the database is used, and as long as it is not misused, I do not have a problem with it. I appreciate knowing this to set my mind at ease about the government's activities. However, in order to put my mind at ease (and yours as well) we have given terrorists all over the world information which could allow them to pull of a terrorist attack without prior detection. Is that worth it?
America is an open society. The warm light of day is very antiseptic. However, don't you think that there are some things we should not make public? Can we all agree that some activities of our government, in spying on those who would harm us, MUST be kept secret in order to protect us?
There is an easy answer, and it is already in place. It may need to be tweaked, but it is probably our best option. Right now the executive branch (N.S.A.) is involved in secret activities to keep us safe. These cannot be made public without informing the terrorists. Therefore, several members of congress, from both houses, and BOTH parties have oversight. They have been told about these activities since they started, and have given their blessing. That means that Republican leaders in congress, and Democratic leaders in congress are looking out for us to make sure that these are legal and necessary.
We have to trust SOMEONE to make these calls. We CANNOT make these calls, as a nation, by broadcasting to the world what we are dong so that we can all make up our minds. So, in whom do you have trust?
If you do not trust the leadership of either party then let's come up with a special board to oversee such things. These people must sign a contract that if they leak ANY of these secrets they will go to prison for life, without parole, and without visitors so they cannot tell anything else. They can publicly state that they agree with what is being done or they disagree with it. NOTHING more.
Think of our country as YOUR house. You have locks and alarm systems in place to protect YOUR family. You want to give every responsible member of your family the code for the alarm. What if the ONLY way to give the code to your family was to publish the code along with your address in the newspaper? This way the irresponsible members of the family get the code as well as ever thief, rapist and murderer in town.
Does that make sense?
Would an alarm protect your family if you published this?
Would you be a responsible head of household if you published that information about your family's home security in the paper?
Would our President be a responsible head of state if he were to publicize secret programs put in place to protect Americans?
Do you really want him to do so?
Read more about it...
USATODAY.com - NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls
Think for yourself!
Make up your own mind!
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