There has been a lot of talk about the fourth amendment the past few weeks with the 'revelation' that the NSA has been monitoring
everyone's communications in the past, present and future of the world*. US officials are afraid that the leaker may
defect to China. That's not really important in some quarters as the NSA has apparently breached the fourth amendment. From
PolicyMic:
The Fourth Amendment protects people's "papers" as well as their "persons," "houses," and "effects," from "unreasonable searches and seizures," such as those by the NSA.
Despite being approved by a secret FISA court, the acquisition of private information from all Americans seems to be a quite obvious breach of the 4th Amendment's protections against unreasonable search and seizure, the same amendment the National Security Agency pushed the government to "rethink."
Reading the entire piece is worth the time, it is really quite good. What I personally found interesting was that it shows for myself the complete hyperbole on both sides of this debate. I've found the laser like focus on the 4th amendment fascinating as of late.
Here is the text of the Fourth amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
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