There are a few problems with both the Judge's decision and some posts on here.
First on section 215.....the administration of BOTH parties have referred to this as a major intelligence program thus it seems to me that it is not possible to have anyone strike down the program anytime soon.
Secondly, the general basis for all of this goes to Smith vs Maryland in 1979 which reads...
"we doubt that people in general entertain any actual expectation of privacy in the numbers they dial. All telephone users realize that they must “convey” phone numbers to the telephone company, since it is through telephone company switching equipment that their calls are completed. All subscribers realize, moreover, that the phone company has facilities for making permanent records of the numbers they dial, for they see a list of their long-distance (toll) calls on their monthly bills."
This before the electronic age...that decision said “We therefore conclude that petitioner in all probability entertained no actual expectation of privacy in the phone numbers he dialed, and that, even if he did, his expectation was not ‘legitimate.’ The installation and use of a pen register, consequently, was not a ‘search,’ and no warrant was required,” reads the holding."
That is all the legalese....point is that we need such an act in today's age. The fact that we have this internet to complain about it does not much change the basic facts involved.
This is not a political issue...it was, but not anymore. I believe in my heart that our enemies...and that is anyone who is jealous or covets our power and money will do whatever is necessary to bring the country down. They are aware that military is not going to do it, and thus are using this and we sit here and complain about how bad we have it while they eat away at us.
I will never forget Nikita Khrushchev saying the following.......""we do not have to destroy America with Missiles; America will destroy itself from within."
He was correct and we continue on that path. We are so interested in OURSELVES we have forgot our country. We have such short memories in this country. We are like our children now...we need a trophy just for showing up.
I do wish us better oversight reporting and frankly I have no idea on how to define that. Those with that charged responsibility need to work on that part of it. By subject matter, they speak in very vague generalities but I am satisfied that the right is being done.
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