Domestic Surveillance Pros And Cons

On September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists hijacked two commercial planes, flying them straight toward the Twin Towers destroying one of the most well-known landmarks. This act was responsible for the death of thousands of innocent citizens.The Domestic Surveillance Program was created as a result of the treacherous September 11 attacks under the hope that they could prevent the possibility of more fatalities. Conducted by the National Security Agency, this program sparked a great debate on whether the collection of citizens’ personal lives to protect their safety was ethical or not. This issue is important to the state of our country as no one is entirely sure whether sacrificing some of our privacy actually helps in keeping us safe. Domestic
surveillance is an ethical way to aid our society because it follows all guidelines set by the Constitution, helps deter crime, and offers protection against planned attacks.
To begin, Domestic Surveillance is ethical while aiding our country because it follows all guidelines set by the Constitution.
National Reviews states, “The program does not represent a violation of the Constitution because the Fourth Amendment does not protect dialed phone numbers, in contrast to the content of the communications, because individuals lose privacy over those numbers when they are given to the phone number.” This quotes proves that the public, when purchasing electronics, understands that they would have to sacrifice some of their privacy when providing phone companies their numbers, and these sacrifices are used to aid them, keeping them safe and protected. The Fourth Amendment is not being violated as their phone numbers are not personal as they are left for the public to see. My opposition believes that Domestic Surveillance is a clear violation against the Fourth Amendment right of no unreasonable searches or seizure; however, according to National Review, “Our Constitution’s authors and proponents warned against bowing to the sort of demagoguery that lies behind attacks on the NSA program as unconstitutional invasion of our rights. The Federalists Papers - the Bible of the Constitution’s meaning - warn at the outset.” This quote explains that Federal Surveillance is not represented as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. In fact, it was those who wrote the Constitution who warned citizens to not be tricked into the irrational claims made up by some.
The NSA does not violate the Fourth Amendment, as a lot of the data they search for and collect is already in the public.
Furthermore, Domestic Surveillance is ethical while remaining indispensable to our country because it helps to deter crimes.
According to Cornell University, “ The researchers found that video surveillance systems were most effective in parking lots. Across the studies included in the analysis, CCTV resulted in a 51 percent decrease in crimes committed in parking lots. CCTV resulted in a 23 percent decrease in crime on public transportation.” This quote shows that security cameras cause criminals to think about their actions consequences before committing a crime. Which would never occur without the aid of the closed circuit television cameras, also known as CCTV. While a concern for privacy is a great factor when it comes to surveillance, majority of the citizens feel as the well being of those around them are far more important. Some falsely believe that CCTV cameras only infringe on society's privacy and has no effect when it comes to preventing possible crimes from occurring; yet, according to Urban Institutes, “ Our evaluation of three cities found that the most effective systems are monitored by trained staff, have enough cameras to detect crimes in progress, and integrate the technology into all manner of law enforcement activities.” This quote describes that it has been proven that using the CCTV cameras help discern criminals from the rest of the citizens. When they are monitored by trained staff, the use of the technology can allow police to find out exactly when
and how a crime was committed, and incarcerate the guilty without needing a massive search. Additionally, Domestic Surveillance is an ethical way of keeping our community safe because it offers protection against planned attacks. According to the Cable News Network, otherwise called CNN, “Access to such information ‘allows counterterrorism personnel to discover whether known or suspected terrorists have been in contact with other persons who may be engaged in terrorist activities, particularly people located inside the United States,’ a senior Obama administration official said Thursday.” This quote indicates that data provided by the internet can be searched and scanned to look for any signs of possible planned terrorist attacks. With the information, we can become prepared for the attacks that would otherwise come as a complete surprise. The use of the private data is used for the well-being and safety of the public. Others may argue that Domestic Surveillance has lived up to be ineffective in terms of stopping these attacks, but according to The New York Times, “ At the same hearing, Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the head of the National Security Agency, said that American surveillance had helped prevent “potential terrorist events over 50 times since 9/11,” including at least 10 “homeland-based threats.” This quote emphasizes that over 50 possible threats have been prevented, allowing the United States to live free from any more tragic homeland-based terrorist events. The small loss of privacy has been used to help keep all in our communities safe from immediate threats. In conclusion, Federal Surveillance is necessary to help keep all of America safe and well protected, while following all basic ethics. The NSA has been protecting our country while staying ethical because it follows the guidelines set by our Constitution, deters crime, and offers protection against planned attacks. Domestic Surveillance is the ethical way to provide Americans with safe and secure lives.