Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: CharlesWayneCT
My point was that if all the neighbors give information about you, that information can be used to get a warrant to search your house -- it has nothing to do with you giving out information yourself.

And, once again, if the government gets my phone call information, that is different. Entirely different.

If they didn't force Verizon to hand over the info, and they didn't break into Verizon to steal the info, your beef is with Verizon, not the government.

Oh, I have a beef with both of them. But that still does not change the fact that the government should not have all the calling records. The use of this data will not stop with what you consider to be reasonable uses.

146 posted on 05/15/2006 11:10:18 AM PDT by dirtboy (An illegal immigrant says my tagline used to be part of Mexico)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 145 | View Replies ]


To: dirtboy

I guess that's the part I don't agree with, even though I understand the mistrust of government.

Right now the government has the "ability" to do many many things that would be really bad. All that keeps them from doing those bad things are people in power that don't take advantage of that power.

You don't want them to have the phone records because of what they might do with them. But to take that argument seriously, I don't want Verizon to even HAVE the records either, because, as you would say, you don't know what illegal thing the government MIGHT do, like break into the Verizon computers and steal the information.

The point is, once you presume that the government will act illegally, you might as well give up, because whatever you deny them legally they can just do illegally.

I'm saying that I see a good enough use for these records, and nothing of an aasault on my freedom from the mere EXISTANCE of the records, that I want the government to have that database.

If they use it improperly or illegally, I'll be right with you protesting. But taking away a powerful tool of protection simply because of fear that someone will, at some future time, use it for evil doesn't persuade me.

Some said the same thing when we developed the atom bomb -- we shouldn't do it, because someone will someday use it for evil purposes. But those who want to use it for evil purposes won't NOT do it because they have to take some other evil step first.

It's like criminals and guns. If we made it illegal to own guns, some say, it would deter gun crime. But the rational response is that people who are criminals won't obey the law preventing them from owning the weapon.

And a person in government willing to use the database for illegal purposes won't be deterred by the fact that getting the data is illegal.


186 posted on 05/15/2006 1:20:32 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 146 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson