Over the line?

7:55 PM, Jun. 11, 2013  |  Comments
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Most Americans like technology. Sure, it causes problems from time to time. But, for the most part, technology makes our lives easier.

From cell phones with which we call and text loved ones to computers and tablets with which we send emails and communicate via video conferencing with family members and co-workers many miles away, technology is more and more a part of our lives.

Unfortunately, the better technology becomes the less privacy we all have. Include the power and secrecy available to the government, and that same technology that makes our lives easier opens us up to what some people consider to be a gross invasion of privacy.

The revelations in recent weeks about the National Security Agency's moves to perform surveillance over the American people have caused outrage in some portions of the country. Some Americans believe they've been lied to or at least deceived in some way. Others use the phrase, "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to be afraid of."

Perhaps that statement is correct, but the principle behind the invasion of privacy is still a major concern for many Americans. They ask if the government can act this way on phone calls and other forms of communications, what else is it capable of doing?

It's a fair question, and one that the people would like to see answered.

First, this is far from the first time the concept of government intrusion has arisen in our nation. In the late 1870s, much debate took place over whether the government could open letters. In the late 1960s, the debate was over telephone wire tapping.

What makes this most recent issue so disconcerting is there appears to be some dispute as to whether the courts were well-informed about the extent of the surveillance and how many companies were forced into helping the government collect information.

People want to be safe, and according to federal authorities, this kind of spying has prevented at least one attack on U.S. soil. What we have to ask ourselves is how much we are willing to give up to ensure we have safety. And we have to ask ourselves if we truly are safe even with the use of these techniques.

This liberty-versus-safety narrative has been part of the national discussion ever since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The American people must communicate to lawmakers where the public wants the line drawn. Many lawmakers from both major parties have endorsed these kinds of spy techniques. The American people need be vocal about where they think the line the government should not cross is and, if necessary, use the power of the ballot box to make changes.

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