Is National Security More Important Than The Right To Privacy

Superior Essays
“The term national security refers to the safeguarding of a people, territory, and way of life” (Jordan, Taylor, and Mazarr 14). Today’s National Security Agency is an extremely powerful and thoughtful organization that’s mission is to keep Americans, and the country free of harm. The supporters of this organization feel the need for increased security in the United States, to keep younger generations safe. On the other hand, those who are against the need for more security believe that the right to privacy is more important than security. The National Security Agency has become an important issue in the United States because in the debate of safety vs the right to privacy, the NSA plays an essential role in constructing and analyzing those …show more content…
The Justice Department Program stated that “[The spying technology] is used to hunt down criminal suspects. Also, the technology is used to track terror suspects and intelligence targets overseas” (A1). Believers of this spying program feel the need for it because it tracks terrorist suspects from around the world. The tracking can tell the programs what the terrorist groups are planning, and saying to each other. The tracking put on by this program, and the NSA is a very important part of keeping our country safe for these people. Even though the anti-supporters feel that the security is effective, they have their own opinions on the program. According to Andrew Croker of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which specializes in defending the right of Americans, says “There’s a lot of privacy concerns in something this widespread, and those concerns only increase if we have an intelligence coordinating them” (A1). The anti-supporters feel that their right to privacy is being taken away with this new program being implemented. They don’t want to have the government overlooking them every time they make a phone call, or do something on the internet. These people feel worried with an organization, such as the NSA, constructing and using this program. The anti-supporters don’t want to give up their right …show more content…
James Clapper, who is the Director of National Intelligence, stated that, “An estimated 180 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to the civil war is Syria” (A1). These travels to Syria are a major concern for the NSA and its security, because young people may be giving the terrorist groups confidential information. The terrorist groups have their focus on a special group. According to Nicole Hong of the Wall Street Journal, “Recruits for the Islamic States, or ISIS, are often in their teens or early 20’s, and they use social media to express their thoughts” (A1). These newcomers have all kinds of different motivations for joining. Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute, expressed that, “Some are loners seeking more of the belonging and adventure. Some have ethnic-identity issues. Some are drawn to the radical ideology” (A1). All these different motivations seem to work for ISIS because these type of people are the easiest to attract. Parents have also tried to keep their kids from getting to this point. They have taken their children 's passports away, and told them about what they 're doing is

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