Thursday, February 14, 2008

Mariama Salia

“To ensure our country’s freedom, the government should be able to spy on its citizens.”The definition of spy is a person employed by the government to retrieve secret information or knowledge about another person with or without their knowledge. To me, this would be extremely dangerous if enforced in our society today. There have been several incidents of the government spying on people without their knowledge through phones, known as “phone tapping”. While the government defended themselves by saying it was for national security, people who were tapped were outraged by the invasion of privacy and those who weren’t, were fearful of the possible tapping into their conversations. To spy on a citizen of America is without a doubt an extreme invasion of privacy. With the “Total Information Awareness” program the government initiated in 2002, they’ve become able to gain access to credit card charges, visited web sites, emails sent or received, trips booked, grades received, even bank charges to be sent to their “virtual, centralized grand database”. The question is, do they need all that information? If someone isn’t plotting anything against our society but is being tapped, is that ethical?Personally, no, it’s not ethical. This doesn’t ensure our freedom if we’re constantly being recorded by someone. For hundreds of years different groups of society have struggled to gain their freedom, which to them represented not being controlled by anyone. If our society knows that they’re being watched and that one wrong they do might turn for the worst for them, are we able to think freely and truly? I doubt that the government will enforce TV's that are able to see and hear you like in 1984, but how far will they go to "protect society" if it means invading everyones lives?

4 comments:

Deep Thoughts - 1984 said...

I agree with what you are saying Mariama, the definition of freedom according to google is "the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints." If you have to worry about someone spying on you, then that would be a restraint.
-Amelia

Deep Thoughts - 1984 said...

I totally agree with you Mariama. The government of the United States spying on its own citizens completely contradicts the ideals on which this country was founded: life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness. However, I want to ask you a question. You said "If someone isn’t plotting anything against our society but is being tapped, is that ethical?" Well I agree that no it is not ethical to be tapping anyone's phone lines, but isn't the whole idea of spying on these people to find out if they are plotting against the country or not? What would be the point of the government tapping people's wires who are not in any way a threat to national security?

Deep Thoughts - 1984 said...

Oops I forgot to post my name. The comment directly above is Zoe Storck

Deep Thoughts - 1984 said...

After reading the book 1984 my position on my original statement concerning security cameras in public spaces to catch potential criminals hasn't swayed. There are cameras in schools, shops, street lights, and may other places. Although 1984 took it way too far with T.V's that pick up sound and cannot be turned off; this to me is a extreme violation of personal privacy and beyond the point of catching a criminal, it's for control.

-Mariama