Greetings.
As NCAA bracketology, missing Malaysian flights, and plenty of other news stories that are "fit to print" prominently took center stage this past week, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and Rep. Mike Rodgers (R-MI) began an attempt to convince the American people that ending National Security Agency spying on the American people is a TOP PRIORITY of theirs.
Specifically, these two congressmen, from two different sides of the political aisle, are preparing to co-sponsor a bill that would, in effect, end the NSA's program aimed at gathering and storing, in bulk, metadata belonging to the American people. However, those that would hail this new development as a "victory" for the Fourth Amendment and a sound defeat of anti-privacy laws and practices should not be so easily deceived.
This latest legislation is a smoke-and-mirrors act for several reasons.
First of all, the law being proposed wouldn't go far enough. While intelligence agencies, under the Ruppersbarger-Rogers legislation, would no longer be permitted to directly gather metadata from the cell phones of Americans, they would still have a green light to legally access the records of private service providers in order to get what they were going after. Basically, this new law would simply redirect (to companies) the unconstitutional efforts of the federal government, rather than shut them down.
Secondly, it is practically absurd to expect anything but these types of legislative theatrics from the likes of Ruppersbarger and Rogers. According to sources, both Rogers and Ruppersbarger have been the recepients of campaign donations (numbering in the six figures) from intelligence contractors since 2005.
Can it be hoped, then, that either of these men will see the egregious violations of Americans' Fourth Amendment-protected liberties for what they are? Not likely...at least not as long as their reelection efforts and financial bottom lines depend on it. Even less likely is the possibility that our government as a whole, to include all three branches, will ever these unconstitutional violations for what they are and take steps to ELIMINATE (not simply "improve" or "decrease") them from the national landscape.
John Adams once famously said, "...a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."
I am afraid that we are well past the point of individual liberty being a mainstay in the national conscience. However, I am not convinced that this is grounds for any sort of permanent pessimism on our part. We must continue to fight. This can happen in a number of ways.
1) Stay active, involved, and LOUD. Never pass up an opportunity to make your voice heard, especially with regard to your elected officials. While many are beholden to special interests and lobbyists, that is still no reason to keep silent. Stay engaged.
2) Disobey when necessary. Civil non-compliance is the best way to effect change on the national landscape. History bears this out and our future as a free society mandates it. Always count the cost, but always be ready to defy unjust and tyrannical laws.
3) Stay assembled. Always look for ways to associate with like-minded individuals who share your values of freedom and liberty. Remember: strength in numbers.
The politicians may not listen to us now, but our numbers are growing.
Live free.
-Warren Brisbane
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