Does government involvement infringe upon our civil liberties?
By: Carmen Mendoza
The purpose of this blog is to question whether or not government’s involvement in the "war on terrorism" ever crosses the line between protection and infringement upon civil liberties.
"The big threat to America is the way we react to terrorism by throwing away what everybody values about our country - a commitment to human rights. America is a great nation because we are a good nation. When we stop being a good nation, we stop being great." Bobby Kennedy, O Magazine, Feb.2007
Where we stand today
I have often pondered where our nation has taken us since the attacks of 911. Our world, as we knew it, changed that very day. Security lines in airports, weapon laws and even taboo words to say in the general public’s earshot have all been reorganized. New laws, new restrictions and new policies have all changed the way that Americans now live their day to day lives.
Since 9/11, many new technologies have been designed to catch terrorists before they strike. Phone records, bank accounts and credit card activity have all been made accessible to monitoring thanks to technology.
The Facts
Recently, I was educated on something called the MATRIX. Since 2001 the Department of Homeland Security has been creating a database and database searching techniques to allow the viewing of millions of citizen’s records at once to determine if they have a link to terrorism. With the fastest online resources that we have at our fingertips, information is being passed from person to person with lightening speed. To me, this poses the question:
"Does this activity violate our basic human rights to privacy?
To me, I feel that although we do hold very basic human rights, sometimes these need to be altered or morphed to look out for the best interest of all people. In order to maintain a safe nation, we all need to be a little less sensitive to our own personal needs and try to look above ourselves and try to realize that we all have a responsibility to promote a united front in terrorism.
Where to go from here?
"Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of war that knows no borders or seldom has a face." Jacques Chirac, Speech. Sep.24, 1986
I feel that we live in a world of computers. Our online communication has become so involved, that people can do business with someone without ever having to meet them face to face. All of the unknowns that lie between who people really are, and what they type on the keyboard can hold many questionable acts. The quote above makes reference to no faces, and this is so true. Our face is hidden behind a computer screen and our online personalities reign supreme. Let’s help give a name to those hidden faces by allowing some probing into our digital, computerized world.
Or is this really the answer?
References:
"Technology and Crime." Electronic America. John W. Weier. Information Plus Reference Series. Detroit: Gale, 2007. pages 47-62.
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