Privacy Debate: Marc Rotenberg opening remarks

We are not only discussing the expectations of privacy going forward, but also the constitutional traditions of this nation. America has a strong history of protecting personal privacy, and as technology has advanced we have always chosen to update our laws to maintain those protections. The Supreme Court has supported these laws that protected rights. 9/11 challenged us not only to protect our nation, but also to protect what makes us free: the Constitution and the rule of law. The American public has largely rejected the additional surveillance programs instituted by the Bush administration in recent years. If the government needs information, it should go through the proper processes and get a warrant from a judge. The answer is not how to adjust the balance between privacy and security. We need to always maintain the rule of law, constitutional protections, and the need for an independent judiciary and an open and accountable government. If we're prepared to accept the proposition that we can lower our expectations of privacy after 9/11, then we're prepared to accept the proposition that we can diminish our constitutional form of democracy.

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[darkeryche]

"When people found out we were torturing children, we told them to mind thier own bisness and used the constitution to justify our actions."

[davmor63]

It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it. --Joseph Joubert