for Danny

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Should our government continue funding a program that no longer does what it was intentionally meant to do? The United States’ government has spent around $10.8 billion on a security program, which is second to the CIA funding of $14.7 billion (Greenberg). We live in the age of technology, where communication devices are common in every household. Our government used our tax money to invest in the National Security Agency program. This program infiltrates all of our privacies through mobile or immobile devices to collect data about us. Our government started this program because this was their way to counter any further terrorist attacks after 9/11. Although this program was meant to keep the safety of the people, the government is going too far with it. The United States’ government should stop trying to advance their technologies to spy on their citizens.

Blog #4

Thesis: Government should not be spying over their people.

Source 1:
Citation: "The Bill of Rights: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

According to our Bill of Rights, we have the rights to not be searched or spied on, unless given permission by a warrant (US Const., Amend. IV).

Denotation: Everyone has the right to be secured from searches from any authorities without a warrant provided.

Connotation: The government is not following this article. Our privacy has been invaded by the government ever since the 9/11 terrorist attack. This gets me every time because if this is no longer a safe guard from the government’s tool to spy on our mobile devices, then I fear that our country is heading toward the wrong direction.

Source 2:
Citation:"The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

According to the Declaration of Independence, if our government no longer protects our rights, then we have the liberty to change such government (US 1776).

Denotation: People have the right to abolish a government where they are not doing their job

Connotation: As of now, I believe that we should do something about our privacy being invaded. Our government should not be creating a new law to void a right of ours that was initially created for a reason. This law that bypasses one of our rights irks me because not many people are doing anything about it. We just let this thing slide. I get that it is for finding terrorist; however is that really the right direction? I feel it is just a lazy excuse for our lack of security into the country.

Source 3:
Citation: Solomon, Norman. "The NSA Deserves a Permanent Shutdown." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "Those giant strides have stomped all over the Fourth Amendment, leaving it gasping for oxygen."

In a Huffington post article, “The NSA Deserves a Permanent Shutdown”, Norman Solomon writes about how our past and current president continues to fund the Natural Security Agency to counter any future terrorists attacks. However, the NSA program “have stomped all over the Fourth Amendment, leaving it gasping for oxygen” (2013).

Denotation: The government’s funding to the NSA program is heading to a direction where our privacy rights are being nulled.

Connotation: I definitely agree with this article. The way our government is heading is something I cannot agree with. This program definitely needs to end here and now. Either change its way in finding information or end it there. The Bill of Rights gives us the freedom to have our privacy. Not only that, but the government should be the one protecting this privacy, not stomping all over it.

Source 4:
Website: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/09/the-government-is-spying-on-us-through-our-computers-phones-cars-buses-streetlights-at-airports-and-on-the-street-via-mobile-scanners-and-drones-through-our-smart-meters-and-in-many-other-ways.html

Citation: "The Government Is Spying On Us Through Our Computers, Phones, Cars, Buses, Streetlights, At Airports And On The Street, Via Mobile Scanners And Drones, Through Our Smart Meters, And In Many Other Ways." Washingtons Blog. 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: “Microsoft has long worked hand-in-hand with the NSA and FBI so that encryption doesn’t block the government’s ability to spy on users of Skype, Outlook, Hotmail and other Microsoft services” (Washingtonsblog 2013).

Denotation: Microsoft helps the government spy over everyone who uses their programs and communication apps.

Connotation: I am oblivious that Microsoft has given the NSA a helping hand to this. Not only have our mobile devices been compromised of our privacy, but now we cannot even communicate to our friends without being watched over. This is just like how it is in 1984where even the television was a way to listen and watch over everyone by Big Brother. I feel that this “free” country is heading in the direction as Big Brother is if this continues. No privacy, no rights, and no protection from our government.

Source 5:
Citation: Thoreau, Henry. "Civil Disobedience." American Studies. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: “That government is best which governs least”

According to Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, “That government is best which governs least” (1849).

Denotation: A government is best when it does not abuse or use its power often.

Connotation: I feel that this is true to some extent. As of now, the government is overstepping their boundary by spying all over our mobile devices through the National Security Agency. The government should only do this if there is a warrant granted. It is not fair to us that we are paying most of our mobile devices through sweat and blood just to be spied on for free. Governments should check family background and stuff like that. That way, there should be some people who deserves to be surveillance on, but with a warrant given.

Source 6:
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/court-gave-nsa-broad-leeway-in-surveillance-documents-show/2014/06/30/32b872ec-fae4-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html

Citation: Nakashima, Ellen, and Barton Gellman. "Court Gave NSA Broad Leeway in Surveillance, Documents Show." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 June 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "The certification — approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and included among a set of documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden — lists 193 countries that would be of valid interest for U.S. intelligence."

The Unite States made an arrangement for not spying over certain countries. However, former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden leaked some classified documents to the world. Those documents revealed that the US has targeted 193 countries as “valid interest for U.S. intelligence” (Nakashima and Gellman 2014)

Denotation: Due to Edward Snowden leaking classified documents from the NSA, it revealed that the US is targeting 193 countries for surveillance.

Connotation: Edward Snowden risked his life just to leak these documents to the world. I believe that he is showing proof that our government is becoming a little too power hungry. Not only have our government been spying over us for the past decade, but now there are other countries they want to spy. I am not even sure if they are now doing this for terrorist reasons. I get that spying over us was due to the bombing of 9/11, but that event is long gone. We need to upgrade security level and not rely on global spying too much.

Source 7: 1984 Quote
Citation: Owell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984. New York: New American Library, 1961. Print.

Quote: "With the development of television, and technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end" (205-06).

Denotation: Private life came to an end when Big Brother created the telescreen and the though-crime police to keep watch over everybody all the time.

Connotation: This is what the National Security Agency is doing with our everyday electronics. We are under constant surveillance whether we like it or not. I agree that perhaps it is best to keep the surveillance on people worth watching with warrants. However, the government is not doing that. We are basically paying to be watched. Marthin Luther King stated that our government gave us a promise. A promise that they will guarantee our rights. These rights comes from the Bill of Rights where we should have our privacy protected. 

Source 8:
Website: http://www.wired.com/2013/06/why-i-have-nothing-to-hide-is-the-wrong-way-to-think-about-surveillance/

Citation: Marlinspike, Moxie. "Why 'I Have Nothing to Hide' Is the Wrong Way to Think About Surveillance | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 11 June 13. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Quote: James Duane, a professor at Regent Law School, lectured "Estimates of the current size of the body of federal criminal law vary. It has been reported that the Congressional Research Service cannot even count the current number of federal crimes. These laws are scattered in over 50 titles of the United States Code, encompassing roughly 27,000 pages. Worse yet, the statutory code sections often incorporate, by reference, the provisions and sanctions of administrative regulations promulgated by various regulatory agencies under congressional authorization. Estimates of how many such regulations exist are even less well settled, but the ABA thinks there are 'nearly 10,000.'"
Source 9:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/09/09/ten-things-weve-learned-about-the-nsa-from-a-summer-of-snowden-leaks/

Source 10:
Website: http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/14/how-the-world-butchered-benjamin-franklins-quote-on-liberty-vs-security/

Citation: Ferestein, Gregory. "How The World Butchered Benjamin Franklin’s Quote On Liberty Vs. Security." TechCrunch. 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

Quote: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."