The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was implemented under the Bush administration and continued under Obama’s watch. The ever-broadening program has recently been approved in Congress for an additional five years and carries with it the ability for “surveillance” of international phone calls and e-mails, made or sent by Americans, not requiring a federal warrant. Additionally, domestic phone calls and e-mails may be monitored if an American is “believed” to be communicating with Al-Qaeda or any other known international terrorist network.
Pushed through the House by Republicans, the Obama administration agrees that the legislation is a top priority in keeping our country safe. What is questionable is how far-reaching the powers of surveillance will go and how many of our freedoms we Americans are willing to give up in order to remain safe. Botched programs like the now-infamous Fast and Furious, failure to increase security at our embassies and consulates abroad on one of the most hallowed anniversaries in our nation’s history, and the implementation of camera wielding drone aircrafts monitoring Americans at home should force us all to question whether or not any of this is truly necessary.
As reported by David Kravets on wired.com, “The government does not have to identify the target or facility to be monitored. It can begin surveillance a week before making the request, and the surveillance can continue during the appeals process if, in a rare case, the secret FISA court rejects the surveillance application. The court’s rulings are not public.”
How does this impact each one of us? If the CIA (an institution supposedly used only in clandestine foreign intelligence gathering), NSA, or another spy agency decides there is cause to “listen in” to a conversation you are having with someone, or perhaps read private e-mail communications you send or receive because you said or used specific “hot words or phrases,” they may do so without penalty. If an appeal is filed to stop the eavesdropping, the surveillance may continue until such time the appeal is accepted or denied. What becomes of the information gathered has not been fully realized as yet either.
The Senate must now take up the FISA bill given to them by the House. Unfortunately, for many who disagree with this policy, it will most likely be passed; and quietly, our sovereign freedoms will continue to erode, leaving our children and grandchildren with only a skeleton of what the United States once stood for and against. As Benjamin Franklin now famously wrote, “They who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.”
Photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com (Creative Commons)
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I sure do Hope this reaches Millions of the Bench sitters. SEE America, as I have been saying for years now, this is the Result of FED Oversight of ALL Politicians, Republicans and Democrats combined. There is not a Dimes worth of Difference between the Two Political Parties. They are Both OWNED Lock, Stock, and Barrel by the FED Bankers and their Money. And for those of you who keep thinking that Our “VOTE” Counts, and there is NO Reason for a Violents, Think Again. YOUR VOTE DOESN’T MATTER ONE BIT. he FED Bankers have Already Decided WHO is there Man of the Hour, and VOTE Numbers can and have already been scqued to make you think your doing something, when Your Not. Even if you and half of Americans Didn’t Vote, the Numbers would still be the same, and the FED Bankers man would still win the election.
And as Stalin said, and I quote “It doesn’t matter who votes, it matter who COUNTS the VOTES” unquote…..
patti’s notes: we need some security in this way,too much terrorism going on,and some here in usa. so yes,i’m for it,nothing to hide. pl,orl,fla
Like Ben Franklin said, because you are willing to give up some of your freedom for a little bit of security, you deserve neither and rest assured the day will come when that is a fait accompli, if not for you then for your heirs, your descendants. If you’re still around when that day arrives, I doubt you will be so blase’ about it then. It’s shortsightedness and selfishness such as yours that is the enemy of liberty.
It is clear that Obummer is doing his best to put this election in his pocket. There are those of us who still believe in the goodness of people. We pray for help from above. We know America has been the best country on Earth for many years now. I still have hopes that enough good people will see what damage the current administration has been doing and decide to vote for Our America that we love. Put a President in the White House that will make the corrections that will help America return to the Greatest Country we have grown to love.