Let It Go Already!

I'm not a violent man, but I'm so afraid I'm going to snap and smack the next person who tells me warrantless spying is fine because anyone who isn't a terrorist has nothing to hide.

Raise your hand if you never break any laws. I can't see you, but I'm betting very few of you raised your hands. Personally, just off the top of my head, I know I tend to speed sometimes, and I remember back in High School, I had my first few beers before I was strictly legal to do so.

Suppose you, in a particularly hard part of your life, turn to illegal drugs and get yourself hooked. Suppose, for example, you're a major right wing radio host. Do you really want the government knowing about this? Do you really think that you should risk having DEA agents show up at your house because of your occasional, recreational use of something you're addicted to, just because the NSA found you while looking for terrorists?

How many people have ever cheated, even just a little, on their taxes? I actually can say I haven't, I'm exceedingly fastidious with money. But from talking to my friends, it appears I'm in the minority. If you have ever taken a dubious deduction or intentionally omitted income you earned under the table, and you happen to brag about this to one of your pals, do you want the IRS to show up at your house, because Big Brother was listening in?

For the Christians in my audience, this can be pretty well typified by the admonishment "let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

If you aren't without sin (in the legal sense) then you really can't claim that you have nothing to hide and no reason to worry about Big Brother listening in.

Liam.