Imaging discovering that your older brother has been reading your IMs and listening to your phone calls for months. Now he knows about everything from your secret crush to the time you blamed the dog for breaking your mom's vase. How would you feel? Angry, probably.
That's how many people felt last December when the New York Times reported that the National Security Agency (NSA) had been eavesdropping on some Americans without legal permission. The NSA had been monitoring the overseas phone calls and e-mails of certain U.S. residents since 2001.
Lawmakers and ordinary citizens were troubled by the news. Nobody likes to have people snooping in their personal business. Isn't that against the law in a free country like ours? Usually, it is.
New Tactics for New Times
It is illegal to listen to U.S. citizens' phone conversations or read
their e-mail without a warrant, which is official permission. But after
the 2001 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush used his executive
powers to bypass the law. The new policy allowed NSA officials to take
immediate action against suspected terrorists.
A Queston of Power
Critics of the eavesdropping say the current law must be obeyed, and
that it already gives the President all of the power he needs to protect
Ameri-cans. In a nationwide poll taken in January, 56% of those surveyed
said the government should be required to first get a warrant. "They're
trying to do it without using the courts," says Robert Ray, of Kentucky.
"I just don't trust them."
The White House believes that Congress gave the President additional authority over surveillance tactics after the September 11 terrorist attacks. On September 14, 2001, Congress declared that Bush, as Commander in Chief, could use "all necessary" force against those responsible for the attacks. "There is no doubt in my mind that it is legal," Bush has said.
The Senate is scheduled to begin hearings on the surveillance program this week. Some lawmakers want the administration to explain why the President needs even more power than he already has under current antiterror laws. Whatever the answer, they will try to strike a balance between two important duties: keeping people safe and protecting their freedoms.
Smile! You're on Camera
Even the most boring activities may be recorded on camera-- buying gum,
visiting a bank, walking down the street or going to English class.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the average
person is caught on a security camera several times each day. It is sort
of like being "followed around by someone writing down everything you
do," ACLU technology expert Jay Stanley told TFK.
**Schools across the United States have put students on watch. An estimated 15% of middle schools and 2% of elementary schools use video cameras to record students' activities. Biloxi, Mississippi, has webcams in all of its nearly 500 classrooms.
**Small towns with few security concerns are buying surveillance cameras. A tiny Maryland town is policed by two officers--and five cameras! In large cities, cameras crowd every block. New York City has more than 2,300.
Think!
Should the government be able to eavesdrop on Americans with-out
legal permission? Why or why not?