Alan Grayson says, "This is not about President Obama. This is not about Snowden.

[davidthegnome]

73. Actual Democrats?

How would you define such a thing as an "Actual Democrat"? As far as I can tell, the party has far too wide of a tent to be terribly specific about it. Unless, of course, you exclude either liberals, or conservative democrats. I have been a registered democrat since I was old enough to vote - and I find this big brother surveillance to be absolutely offensive not only to me as a democrat - but to me as an American.

Setting aside political parties for the moment, any American ought to be offended by this gross over-reaching of the federal government. The Patriot Act is despicable enough, but now it is somehow perfectly alright that the NSA is keeping records of every phone conversation, every email... investigating people who haven't done anything wrong? This is after the many instances of the abuse of prisoners of war, a number of which had never been charged with any crime. This is after the despicable treatment of Bradley Manning, the witch-hunt for Julian Assange, the arrests of so many people who haven't actually broken any laws or really done anything wrong.

Open your eyes. None of this is properly supervised or properly regulated - under which conditions I might be more willing to support the NSA and the President's administration in this particular area. The only way to properly supervise or regulate such an immense project is to be held accountable by the American people. Civilian authorities - not military, nor even federal, but a group that does not have a financial or political agenda here other than that of justice.

To sacrifice freedom for safety is beyond a grave mistake - accepting conditions under which we lose our personal freedoms in favor of government surveillance pushes the door wide open for any number of grievous abuses of the constitution and of our rights as Americans. No one has the "right" to read my emails, or listen in on my phone conversations without a warrant, without some kind of just cause.

The records maintained by the IRS are financial, they relate to employment and income and are used for tax purposes. The records maintained by the NSA here, could be used for any damn purpose they please - and who is to tell them what is unacceptable here? A congressman or Senator who has to worry about their own skeletons?

As a proud member of the non-koolaid drinking community, I must insist that your concept of reality is rather narrow. As a student of history, I would point out that when Government authority knows no bounds, when they over-reach in such a manner, tyrants are enabled. This was the case with Stalin, with Hitler, with Chairman Mao, with the Catholic church and both the inquisitions and the crusades.

I'm all for protecting Americans and saving American lives - but not at the cost of freedom, not at the cost of our civil rights.