Do you feel safer knowing that the government can...?

Question

wiretap your cellphone without getting a warrant?

i REALLY dont... Therefore i have no clue what the h**l Barack + John were thinking when they voted it in...

This really is beginning to feel like V for Vendetta. The government is just chipping away at our rights... Does anybody feel the same way?

Answer 1

chipping? Like the chipping down of the WTC on 9/11/01?

I wholeheartedly concur with my chat colleague

Answer 2

No.  The government is out of control & its only gonna get worse after the next election.

Answer 3

You REALLY think what you say on your cellphone is a security risk???

Put yourselves in the place of those who have to listen to those wiretaps. Imagine a job where you have to listen to stupid cellphone conversations all day.

Answer 4

I have no fear!

Answer 5

NOPE....nothing to hide, I don't mind a bit!

Answer 6

From the response it would appear no one has anything to hide, and government promised they wouldn't abuse out rights, so I guess we don't really need the 4th amendment.  We don't need to be protected from government abuse and incompetence.  After all, they promised!  And while we're at it, since government is so efficient and fair minded, we don't really need any of the Bill of Rights.  We just need to trust government with blind faith.  Problem?  What problem?

Answer 7

I don't feel safe with anything the government does or says. They are liars and theives. I DO NOT TRUST THEM!!!!! What rights?? This country is headed straight to h**l.

Answer 8

I think that it's disgusting too. I mean what happened to the freedom we cherish. The freedom that we are in war, losing young woman and men  to establish in Iraq. The problem is , is that no one is really speaking out against it. No one really has a problem with it. Until our communities speak out and say it's to invasive and they are robbing us of our basic rights than it will continue.

GOOD QUESTION!

Answer 9

They can only tap your phone if you are or if you're communicating with  a suspected terrorist

Answer 10

Uh, who cares? What kind of stuff do you talk about on the phone that you need to worry about the government listening to anyway? I don't think they can afford to just eavesdrop on every chatty person on the planet, so it'll have to be for selective suspect people only. So, why worry? Unless you happen to be one of the "suspect" types. In that case, I hope the put a permanent tap on your phone and anything else.

Answer 11

The governments of countries in the West have been chipping away at our rights since the end of WW1 - if only we had noticed earlier, but i fear now it is a little too late to do anything about it....

Yes this may help arrest a few terrorists, but it'll probably end up being used like in the UK, where legislation to spy on and tap into the phones etc. of terrorists have ended up being used by local government for rediculous things, like makeing sure people are in the right catchment area for the school they have applied for, which in reality helps no-one...

Answer 12

the thing thats scary is the fact that they kind of invade your privacy, which is a right that is implied in the Constitution. but if you are not hiding anything, then theres nothing to worry about.

Answer 13

Before you come to conclusions you should have actually Read The Bill!

The fact of the matter is that they can only monitor telephone conversations if the person you are talking to is:

1) Outside the US

2) Previously identified as a legal 'target' for our intelligence services

I personally, do not have any problem with the government monitoring anybody who is talking to Al Queda.

Answer 14

Brothers & sisters......it's 1984  20 yrs late! You were warned!

Answer 15

President Obama is being given a power tool to end any dissent before it gains traction.

Please cooperate.

Answer 16

Not much.

I suppose the government will be able to catch a few more terrorists now than before, but at what cost?

Quibbling over details isn't the point.  The point is that we are moving in the direction of more and more government control--"Big brother now has a few more tools for invading our privacy."

The laws that have been changed via the Patriot Act and the recently passed bill are laws the protected our freedoms and rights.  So a little change here, no big deal, you say?  How about another tomorrow, and then another...

I, too, don't have anything to hide talking on my cell.  That's not the point.  The point is the erosion of freedom.  Youth today,  to a large extent and not their fault, growing up in a miraculous country with many potent freedoms, opportunity and riches, don't have a clue what life under an oppressive government would really be like, what it would  be like to lose that freedom.  Today's youth may have an opportunity to experience that in coming years! I hope not!

There is always a tug-a-war between ways and means, between having a safe society (ways) and what we need to do to make it safer (means)--without sacrificing the freedoms we have.

This country truly is miraculous, with all its faults, unprecedented in the history of mankind on this planet.  I'd hate to see us lose it!

Answer 17

welcome to 1984, are you ready for the third world war?

Answer 18

It's a shame that the mainstream news media doesn't explain the details of the bill.

The government can only "listen in" to cellphone conversations when they have cause to believe that illegal activity (terrorist, in this case) is taking place. The government is then allowed to listen before they get the warrant because the information arrives and is gone so quickly, they do not have time to run to a judge for the warrant before they listen.

The government does get the warrant after the fact, as is required, and all wire tapping is on record.

If there is any foul play on the part of the government, i.e. abusing their power and hurting innocent people, those individuals who have been hurt can file lawsuits and criminal charges can be sought.

This is a necessary defense against terrorist activities, and the arguments against it have come from uniformed people, and those who simply hate George Bush and go against him no matter what.

Answer 19

They have to show reason afterwards, and if they cannot show reason, they can be prosecuted in criminal court.  

READ THE BILL so you can speak intelligently about it.  Do not rely on talking points.

ADDED:  So, you think that there are no sleepers in this country?  You think that you or I are so important that they will listen to our conversations.  I would venture to bet that I will never be listened to.  And even though I do not know you, I am guessing that you will not either.

Answer 20

Of course they can.  They ca n do anything...as long as they have the silence of the 'other people' who know about it.  Look at Sept. II  !!!!  And YES they ARE chipping away at our rights...Look we HAVE to get immunizations for diseases that are no longer a major threat to society to get inot universities and to stay in schools..  Now they are considering forcing young girls to get that vaaccine that protects women from getting cervical cancer...but what if I am healthy and I WON'T get it..they say better safe than sorry...but I perfer to take my chances and live without the UNKNOWN side effexcts of the new vaccine!  (Those poor autistic kids...no unnecessary vaccines for my future kids...NONE!!!)

Answer 21

we can't ride a bike without a helmet, can't drive without a seat belt, we cant drive and talk on our cellphones, and they are trying to create universal health care its starting to sound like we are losing our freedom of choice

Answer 22

They can listen to my phone anytime they want....if they think its important to find out what my wife asks me to get at the grocery store

Answer 23

Public is public. Private is private. I don't really care because I'm not doing anything illegal.

Answer 24

It makes me feel like our government is really going down.

Aren't we supposed to be free?

Guess not...