Rights for Security: Where is the line?

I suppose a better question would be: is there a line with some people?

Personally, I think that, at some point, the right to privacy and dignity trumps the right to security. What I mean by that is that being searched or having your privacy invaded by force (law) against your will is mentally scarring. Frankly, I think that, at some point, my right to not be mentally scarred trumps your right to be secure when the measure is something that is something extremely invasive to protect against something with very low odds of happening.

I think my major issue with people who put security ahead of privacy is that there are a lot of people who are extremely paranoid and private because they've been heavily abused. Frankly, I think their right to live without a 100% possibility of being terrorized outweighs your right to "safety" against a 1 in a million shot.

But, of course, everybody who actually wants their privacy must be a criminal, right? Forget about them having a mental illness or having been abused.

I'll say this much, give me as much privacy as possible, and you can trust my "security" will be assured.

I think we need a mirror and VERY sharp eyesight to spot that line in the distance behind us. We've been heading this way since 9/11 at high speed and I think it ends somewhere is a cross between Gattica and Minority Report in the society some are looking for.

Perfectly safe, Perfectly happy and perfectly boring with equality to everyone in every conceivable way and freedom to none.

A clear line can be found in the "International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights" www2.ohchr.org...

It does describe the rights that are attributable to all people and makes reference to how some of these rights can be taken away due to certain circumstances like war and disaster. It is quite a good document that deals with the realities of this world and how best to protect the situation in an internationally agreed upon way. Well worth a read.

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck

Personally, I think that, at some point, the right to privacy and dignity trumps the right to security.

I thin the right to Privacy always trumps security. If the government wants to cross that line they better be able to demonstrate cause or they themselves should, and often do, suffer the legal consequences. It is as the founders intended. Ironically groups like the ACLU and the NRA grew in the same nursery...as stop gaps for a government that forgets it's limits. That said I have no issue with volountary searches, or searches with demonstrated cause, but whether it is the NSA trolling the net or the cop who pulled you over deciding to search your car without a good reason, the government should be hit aggressively every time it oversteps it's bounds.