On July 4, 1776, the founding members of the United States declared independence from Great Britain. In this declaration, the earliest form of the United States government promised to secure a set of unalienable rights for all men – the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, the United States still strives to secure and protect these values for all American citizens. Via policing and military action, the government confronts and disbands any perceived threats to these unalienable rights – threats such as crime and terrorism. Advancements in both human and computer technology have made it easier for the American government to combat these threats, but many believe these technological advances have come with their own set
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The film begins when a National Security Agency (NSA) official, Thomas Reynolds, assassinates Congressman Hammersley who opposes a bill that expands government surveillance powers. Unfortunately for Reynolds, someone caught his misdeed on tape. For the remainder of the film, Reynolds abuses all of his power to cover up the incident. Through a series of events, Robert Dean ends up with the tape of the murder. Although he does not know he has the tape at first, Robert Dean’s life quickly changes. Within 24 hours of receiving the tape, the NSA raids Dean’s house, bugs his clothing with tracking devices, and publicly defames his name. With sophisticated technology at their disposal, the NSA can track Robert Dean’s every move and listen to every word he says. The overwhelming power of the NSA essentially revokes each civil liberty that Dean should possess. Eventually, Dean pairs up with an ex-NSA agent and fights to get his life back, but he only gets his life back after the death of multiple NSA agents, including Reynolds. This film portrays the government’s ability to misuse power and effectively ruin a citizen’s life. Although this film portrays a fictional scenario in which government power heavily outweighs civil liberty, the themes within the film strike an all too familiar cord with some U.S. …show more content…
In Silence of the Lambs, viewers witnessed a trustworthy government apprehend a heinous criminal via the use of psychological profiling. In this instance, the government leveraged power to uphold and protect the civil liberty of the citizens. In Enemy of the State, a corrupt government official leveraged the power of the U.S. government to limit individual liberty for his own gain. Although Robert Dean is a fictional character, the example of Brandon Mayfield shows citizens that these incidents can occur in the real world. In conclusion, the government can harness technology and power to help or hinder the citizens of the United States. Yet, in the foundations of this nation, the U.S. government swears to secure the unalienable rights for all men – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If the government wishes to utilize and maintain their power, then they must use this power to uphold these unalienable rights. If the government uses surveillance to benefit the citizens rather than only themselves, then the surveillance may become justified. However, if the government continues to obstruct life and liberty using the façade of national security, then the citizens will begin to fight back to secure their unalienable
The film begins when a National Security Agency (NSA) official, Thomas Reynolds, assassinates Congressman Hammersley who opposes a bill that expands government surveillance powers. Unfortunately for Reynolds, someone caught his misdeed on tape. For the remainder of the film, Reynolds abuses all of his power to cover up the incident. Through a series of events, Robert Dean ends up with the tape of the murder. Although he does not know he has the tape at first, Robert Dean’s life quickly changes. Within 24 hours of receiving the tape, the NSA raids Dean’s house, bugs his clothing with tracking devices, and publicly defames his name. With sophisticated technology at their disposal, the NSA can track Robert Dean’s every move and listen to every word he says. The overwhelming power of the NSA essentially revokes each civil liberty that Dean should possess. Eventually, Dean pairs up with an ex-NSA agent and fights to get his life back, but he only gets his life back after the death of multiple NSA agents, including Reynolds. This film portrays the government’s ability to misuse power and effectively ruin a citizen’s life. Although this film portrays a fictional scenario in which government power heavily outweighs civil liberty, the themes within the film strike an all too familiar cord with some U.S. …show more content…
In Silence of the Lambs, viewers witnessed a trustworthy government apprehend a heinous criminal via the use of psychological profiling. In this instance, the government leveraged power to uphold and protect the civil liberty of the citizens. In Enemy of the State, a corrupt government official leveraged the power of the U.S. government to limit individual liberty for his own gain. Although Robert Dean is a fictional character, the example of Brandon Mayfield shows citizens that these incidents can occur in the real world. In conclusion, the government can harness technology and power to help or hinder the citizens of the United States. Yet, in the foundations of this nation, the U.S. government swears to secure the unalienable rights for all men – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If the government wishes to utilize and maintain their power, then they must use this power to uphold these unalienable rights. If the government uses surveillance to benefit the citizens rather than only themselves, then the surveillance may become justified. However, if the government continues to obstruct life and liberty using the façade of national security, then the citizens will begin to fight back to secure their unalienable