Yes. The 21st century technology that connects us instantly across the globe calls for the utmost in spy-guarding. “Enemies of the state” that endanger our security and help our foes should run scared, like former NSA employee and traitor Edward Snowden. Senator Mitch McConnell said, “The spying programs are authorized by law, overseen by Congress and the courts, and subject to ongoing and rigorous oversight”. OMG, this is surreal! When have I ever agreed with McConnell or Senator Lindsay Graham, who said, “If you’re not getting a call from a terrorist organization you’ve got nothing to worry about”. Uncovering terrorist plots against our country is crucial to our existence! If you don’t love America, go live somewhere else! The CIA has been scanning chatter in the Middle East and elsewhere for at least a decade. The data collected in this country by NSA or FBI helps detect suspicious behavior that begins overseas, and saves lives. …………Syndicated columnist, Eugene Robinson, wrote in his column: NSA leaks show debate needed…….that we will see if history deems Edward Snowden a hero or villain, but that first we should “have the debate he sparked over surveillance and privacy”. Robinson wrote, “The NSA, it now seems clear is assembling an unimaginably vast trove of communications data, and the bigger it gets, the more useful it is in enabling analysts to make predictions”. And ended his article with, “Let’s talk about the big picture and decide, as citizens, whether we are comfortable with the direction our intelligence agencies are heading. And let’s remember that it was Snowden, not our elected officials, who opened this vital conversation”. Yeah, it was Snowden, who leaked top-secret information to The Globe and another publication; our elected officials knew better than to do that. Snowden wanted his 15 minutes of fame, but he’ll get longer than that. If he helps evil-doers create mayhem in this country, we may never associate those acts with Snowden, but he will be at least partially responsible for them. President Obama warned, “it will be harder to detect threats against the U.S. now that the two top-secret tools to target terrorists have been so thoroughly publicized”. Obama also said, “Nobody is listening to your telephone calls!” But my understanding is that although no-one is “listening”, certain words and phrases in email and texts may get a second look; words like: bomb, assassinate, hit-man, etc. So now this post may get extra scrutiny. So be it! And since when do “we, as citizens” get to decide what “our intelligence agencies” are doing. After the “Bay of Pigs” fiasco, then President John F. Kennedy threatened to disband the CIA, and remember what happened to him? We can debate all we want, and feel however we want, but as I was looking through a magazine yesterday with pages of bloody scenes from the Boston Marathon (with citizens who’d had limbs blown off), I stand firm in the conviction that although I wouldn’t agree with all the CIA actions (now or throughout history), that they are a necessary tool for keeping our citizenry as safe as we can expect to be. They have foiled some attempts by evil-doers, and obviously can’t stop all attacks, but what catastrophes they can avert, I’m all for it! God save America! And God bless President Obama, who seems to be catching more crap for this than President W. Bush did, for instituting it, and Congress, who passed the Patriot Act in 2002. That was after 9/11; remember that? Snowden betrayed the trust of his employer, leaked classified information, and has put us all at greater risk. There are persons with evil minds in this world who thrive on planning and carrying out evil acts. And with greater mobility and technology these days, evil acts are getting easier to perpetrate!
Jun 14 2013
Do you support federal govt’s surveillance activities?
Yes. The 21st century technology that connects us instantly across the globe calls for the utmost in spy-guarding. “Enemies of the state” that endanger our security and help our foes should run scared, like former NSA employee and traitor Edward Snowden. Senator Mitch McConnell said, “The spying programs are authorized by law, overseen by Congress and the courts, and subject to ongoing and rigorous oversight”. OMG, this is surreal! When have I ever agreed with McConnell or Senator Lindsay Graham, who said, “If you’re not getting a call from a terrorist organization you’ve got nothing to worry about”. Uncovering terrorist plots against our country is crucial to our existence! If you don’t love America, go live somewhere else! The CIA has been scanning chatter in the Middle East and elsewhere for at least a decade. The data collected in this country by NSA or FBI helps detect suspicious behavior that begins overseas, and saves lives. …………Syndicated columnist, Eugene Robinson, wrote in his column: NSA leaks show debate needed…….that we will see if history deems Edward Snowden a hero or villain, but that first we should “have the debate he sparked over surveillance and privacy”. Robinson wrote, “The NSA, it now seems clear is assembling an unimaginably vast trove of communications data, and the bigger it gets, the more useful it is in enabling analysts to make predictions”. And ended his article with, “Let’s talk about the big picture and decide, as citizens, whether we are comfortable with the direction our intelligence agencies are heading. And let’s remember that it was Snowden, not our elected officials, who opened this vital conversation”. Yeah, it was Snowden, who leaked top-secret information to The Globe and another publication; our elected officials knew better than to do that. Snowden wanted his 15 minutes of fame, but he’ll get longer than that. If he helps evil-doers create mayhem in this country, we may never associate those acts with Snowden, but he will be at least partially responsible for them. President Obama warned, “it will be harder to detect threats against the U.S. now that the two top-secret tools to target terrorists have been so thoroughly publicized”. Obama also said, “Nobody is listening to your telephone calls!” But my understanding is that although no-one is “listening”, certain words and phrases in email and texts may get a second look; words like: bomb, assassinate, hit-man, etc. So now this post may get extra scrutiny. So be it! And since when do “we, as citizens” get to decide what “our intelligence agencies” are doing. After the “Bay of Pigs” fiasco, then President John F. Kennedy threatened to disband the CIA, and remember what happened to him? We can debate all we want, and feel however we want, but as I was looking through a magazine yesterday with pages of bloody scenes from the Boston Marathon (with citizens who’d had limbs blown off), I stand firm in the conviction that although I wouldn’t agree with all the CIA actions (now or throughout history), that they are a necessary tool for keeping our citizenry as safe as we can expect to be. They have foiled some attempts by evil-doers, and obviously can’t stop all attacks, but what catastrophes they can avert, I’m all for it! God save America! And God bless President Obama, who seems to be catching more crap for this than President W. Bush did, for instituting it, and Congress, who passed the Patriot Act in 2002. That was after 9/11; remember that? Snowden betrayed the trust of his employer, leaked classified information, and has put us all at greater risk. There are persons with evil minds in this world who thrive on planning and carrying out evil acts. And with greater mobility and technology these days, evil acts are getting easier to perpetrate!
By spiritspeak • Community Roundtable 0