"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." -William Shakespeare
Commentary
I was surprised when President Obama said recently that if the American people cannot trust him, the congress, and the National Security Agency (all under special scrutiny these days), "well, then, we've got a problem."
Yes, then we've got a problem, 'cause many of us reserve and guard where we put our trust. You know, it's true that sometimes I don't even trust myself... as in times of hasty decisions, words, or ...well, like that time that I signed up to sell cosmetics "in my spare time." We are not robots, nor are we genetically programmed. We are continually learning, developing, and changing.
The same attitude about trust applies in this instance for me, about government, whether local or state, and whether a president, congress, or judiciary.
I often drive by the edge of the National Security Agency's (NSA) monstrous Maryland facility that works with a focused mission to protect the nation against their enemies. Police presence with flashing lights and lowered speed limit are among the norms. What one knows about the huge compound above (and below) ground along Maryland's route 32 can be impressive. And the work done within those buildings and beneath/near the giant satellite bowls has a good reputation, overall.
The fact that we cannot know as much as before about what the heck is going on is likely due to, I think, the fact that some national enemies are nearby, right here among us, even citizens. However, some of us do not want any president, congress, and/or NSA to plan and manage secret details of national security as "doing what is best for us." We want to know something...wanting to know is still part of our national character.
Finding out about government spying on members of the press, through the Department of Justice and the FBI, and its hiding of the existence of a deep-data-mining program called Prism, Americans immediately felt the chill of invasions of privacy.
We don't need to "throw the baby out with the bath water." This is where I am now, that citizens continue to be able to speak and write about concerns. We don't yet have a loss of free speech guarantees, but clearly they must be guarded aggressively.
Source of opening quotes: BrainyQuote.comCommentary
I was surprised when President Obama said recently that if the American people cannot trust him, the congress, and the National Security Agency (all under special scrutiny these days), "well, then, we've got a problem."
Yes, then we've got a problem, 'cause many of us reserve and guard where we put our trust. You know, it's true that sometimes I don't even trust myself... as in times of hasty decisions, words, or ...well, like that time that I signed up to sell cosmetics "in my spare time." We are not robots, nor are we genetically programmed. We are continually learning, developing, and changing.
The same attitude about trust applies in this instance for me, about government, whether local or state, and whether a president, congress, or judiciary.
I often drive by the edge of the National Security Agency's (NSA) monstrous Maryland facility that works with a focused mission to protect the nation against their enemies. Police presence with flashing lights and lowered speed limit are among the norms. What one knows about the huge compound above (and below) ground along Maryland's route 32 can be impressive. And the work done within those buildings and beneath/near the giant satellite bowls has a good reputation, overall.
The fact that we cannot know as much as before about what the heck is going on is likely due to, I think, the fact that some national enemies are nearby, right here among us, even citizens. However, some of us do not want any president, congress, and/or NSA to plan and manage secret details of national security as "doing what is best for us." We want to know something...wanting to know is still part of our national character.
Finding out about government spying on members of the press, through the Department of Justice and the FBI, and its hiding of the existence of a deep-data-mining program called Prism, Americans immediately felt the chill of invasions of privacy.
We don't need to "throw the baby out with the bath water." This is where I am now, that citizens continue to be able to speak and write about concerns. We don't yet have a loss of free speech guarantees, but clearly they must be guarded aggressively.
Copyright (c) 2013 Opinari Writers.
