Thursday, December 11, 2014

Freedom v. Order

The freedom v. order debate rages on now more than ever, in the age of technology. The Internet can connect people in a way that was never before  Opportunities for surveillance exist that have never existed before, and with those opportunities comes a legal and moral gray area.

Some, though not many, argue in support of order, in regards to the internet. The Internet allows criminals to organize more easily and more effectively. Organization can happen over national borders and many miles, all with lightning-quick speed. While most would agree that governments should monitor organizations like ISIS, who are known to recruit members over the internet, nearly everything beyond that is in question. What about child pornographers? They definitely deserve whatever punishment that they have coming to them, but then where do you draw the line? Gangs? Drug dealers? Drug users? What about cyber-bullying? Before you know it, nobody is exempt from the all-seeing eye of the government.

A majority of people though, are staunchly against surveillance. What has been done, specifically by the NSA is in clear violation of the 7th amendment against unreasonable search and seizure. The 18th century equivalent of the NSA's actions would entail the government opening all mail, storing the information (whether or not it pertains to any crime), and then sending them onwards, all while trying to keep the operation secret. Our Founding Fathers are surely turning in their graves right now.

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