Respecting Civil Liberties, Promoting Personal Freedoms
There’s perhaps nothing more terrifying than the thought of a government turned to tyranny and the all-out oppression of its people. Historical visions of suffering under leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin come to mind. Americans have long held that our citizens deserve and are guaranteed fundamental protections from governments that wish to impose their will at all costs.
And yet, as we progress further into the 21st century, we see that America has (in many ways) traveled deeper down the rabbit hole of censorship and control than most of us would care to admit.
The leaks made public by Edward Snowden paint a picture of a security industrial complex far beyond the realms of acceptability or accountability. Shadowy organizations, such as the NSA and CIA operate with relative impunity, hidden behind level-after-level of deeper bureaucracy, exempt from the eyes of ordinary American citizens.
Perhaps worse yet, these organizations have shown themselves to not even be held accountable to our elected officials in Washington. Men like CIA Director John Brennan and National Intelligence Director James Clapper have repeatedly lied to Congress about the use and extensiveness of intelligence programs. These men denied the very existence of programs which were later proven to be authentic under subsequent leaks and releases. Yet, neither of these men, nor any of their affiliated personnel, have been held accountable for their actions.
This is entirely unacceptable. The lack of leadership in Congress on this issue is a slap in the face to the entire system of checks and balances inherent within our governmental system.
The recent militarization of police forces around the country, and a dramatic attack against Americans’ rights to free speech and public assembly, are equally disturbing. I have long-held that the vast-majority of American protesters are some of, if not the most peaceful protesters anywhere in the world. We have a history and an admiration for non-violent movements, and to see that history met with police departments dressed in full-body armor, armed with lethal assault rifles, and surrounded by heavily-armored military vehicles is disgusting, and entirely unwarranted.
Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri are but one example of a system of control that has largely remained unchecked and unchallenged by America’s elected officials, as well as its citizens.
Americans have rights to privacy from the snooping eyes of the national security system. Equally, they have rights to publicly display and present their outrage to our government at any level. Our fundamental freedoms were not put in place to only protect socially-acceptable thoughts and ideas. On the contrary, our freedoms of thought and expression are inherent with the fundamental purpose of protecting ideas which challenge our pre-conceived notions of what is “right-or-wrong” in society.
We cannot choose to suppress public opinion merely because it is “uncomfortable.” This is entirely the opposite of what the American system is founded upon. Challenging and uncomfortable ideas are the heart of progress for any nation or society. If we don’t allow ourselves to be challenged, then we will never allow ourselves the chance to grow or evolve on any fundamental level.
America’s future depends upon a society and government focused on openness, transparency, and a willingness to listen to the voices and concerns of the American people. Suppressing thoughts and actions won’t make us safer or any more secure. These types of actions can only lead toward fostering resentment and anger amongst the people, and establishing a greater, dangerous divide between citizens and their elected officials.