Safety or Privacy

[Protagoras]

Which do you choose? Yes yes yes....it's theoretically possible to have both...but the problem seems to be that entrusting people with enough power to "guarantee safety" perpetually comes into conflict with Privacy. So...simply put, which is more important to you?

I'll say it straight up. NO amount of safety is more important to me than my privacy and freedom. None. I'd rather suffer an attack a day. I would pay the price of fear and threat of death to keep my freedom. And I consider Privacy to be a fundamental element of that freedom. But I understand others might differ. I know, in fact, a mother who told me that she'd give up anything to keep her children safe. I believe her.

But it's not the choice I would make. Some things I cannot give up. I'd love to know the thoughts of others on this. (And again, yes I know that we can have both....but that's a different question)

[PatrioticLeftie]

1. Feel the same way as Franklin n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Ditto

[stillcool]

3. The implication that this government is spying ...

for anyone's safety but their own...is bogus...When you debate a false-hood what good does it do?

[Protagoras]

5. Perhaps the part that needs to be debated

is that somehow GIVING us "Security" by invading our Privacy isn't in line with what most people want. Right now that position is actually going unanswered. We ask if Bush did wrong...etc. But Bush says, "I'M KEEPING YOU SAFE". And we're saying "WE WANT OUR PRIVACY".

Sometimes it's good to smoosh the two together and phrase it as a choice to see where people's priorities are. I'm willing to state mine and it appears that others are as well (our founding fathers certainly were...strongly). I would hope that those answering for security or torn would discuss the matter some though. I respect that others might be motivated by things different from myself. But I'd like to understand it better. Because the idea of choosing other things over my constitutional freedoms is foreign to me.

[TahitiNut]

6. There is no security without privacy. It's the 'security' of a prison cell

:shrug:

[Eric J in MN]

4. I chose privacy, but I seriously believe that

requiring warrants and similar civil liberties protections INCREASES safety, by discouraging investigations and searches of innocent people.

That allows resources to be spent on real criminals.

[Jensen]

7. The Spy on you policy, reminds me of Castro's Cuba...

probrably the same as old Germany and no differnt than China. Is that what the GOP means when they talk about "Globalization"?
Where is the outrage???

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Privacy IS Safety.

That should be more clear now, than ever.

[stray cat]

9. We can have both and need both

[Protagoras]

10. Yes but when the two come in conflict

which side do you err on?