What rights are OK to give up ?

There is a huge debate/disagreement regarding what things are OK to sacrifice for the government.

Is it OK if the government listens to all Americans calls when looking for the bad guys ? It's often said, "if you have nothing to hide what are you worried about ?"

On its face this seems to be a decent point. But I think those who make this case are missing the forest for the trees.

It's not about if the government just wants to have a DNA database, monitor your calls and read your email. But government power has this spreading effect. Ever heard the saying "give them and inch and they'll take a mile" ? That rule applies here. And that mile isn't easy to get back.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It's always with the new stuff, the latest thing they just have to do to "keep you safe".

That's why some people fight tooth and nail. They know it's not just your first amendment right, that this is part of a process and will lead to more and increasingly aggressive infringement upon your rights (aka freedoms, remember those?).

I know those documents are "quaint" but I'm a sentimentalist.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Might just be my eyes but I don't see anything about spying on American, kidnapping people (oops, "extra ordinary rendition") and torturing people (not to mention all that killing).

Details details....

It's ok though cause they're just trying to keep us safe.