Privacy Rights vs. Security

I believe that law-abiding people should be able to feel secure in their persons, property, and effects. There should be no searches or seizures of person’s private property or person without a warrant signed by a judge of proper jurisdiction who has been given evidence of probable cause. This process should always be publicly disclosed. I stand against the use of secret evidence in the attaining of search warrants or as cause for detaining citizens. I am against wire-tapping and all other forms of communications monitoring without a publicly issued warrant. I am against national ID cards. I am against the Patriot Act because it unconstitutionally allows nationwide search warrants non-specific to any given location, nor subject to any local judicial oversight. The parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which affect the rights of U.S. citizens should be repealed. The 4th amendment disallows “unreasonable searches and seizures”. A reasonable definition for a reasonable search would be that the person in question was caught in the act of committing a crime, has made threats to commit a felony, or if there is evidence that someone’s life is in immediate danger. Even a reasonable search should require a warrant. Law enforcement officers, however, have the right to apprehend a person without a warrant. I believe in innocence until proven guilty. I favor laws that would protect financial, medical, and other nonpublic records of U.S. citizens even if those records are not in the possession of said citizen. I am against asset forfeiture unless the person has been convicted of a crime first. Social Security numbers should by law be used only for Social Security.



I stand steadfastly against all forms of biometric identification and tracking of innocent Americans. These include fingerprinting, facial and retina scans, implant chips and DNA sampling. I oppose the forced or voluntary fingerprinting of American citizens to obtain drivers licenses. God-given rights guarantee us protection from being forced or coerced to receive drugs or technological devices. However, the right to privacy cannot be used as a justification for any government or individual to perform criminal acts or violate the fundamental rights of any other person. I support the right of all our citizens to face our accusers and to know the evidence against them in a court of law.



Transferring control of the law enforcement apparatus to our federal government and the threat of transfer to unelected transnational overseers increases the likelihood of more violations of human rights. Perhaps national law enforcement agencies should be restricted to protective services, local and state resource agencies, and investigative agencies, to the limitation that arrest and search powers rest with local and state authorities.