Thesis Statement: The National Security Agency violates our constitutional rights by collecting data on our phone calls, messages, and Internet use without our consent.
Introduction:
I. Imagine a world where nothing is private. Every conversation had, every message sent, and everything you search for online can be seen or heard by a faceless entity at any given moment. In 2013, a man by the name of Edward Snowden revealed that this is a reality for Americans.
II. I have conducted extensive research on this topic.
III. What Edward Snowden revealed is something that affects all of us as a result of our use of phones and computers to communicate with one another.
IV. On October 24, 1952, President Truman created the National Security Agency as a way to intercept communication
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Since the fourth amendment in the Bill of Rights states that there shall be no unreasonable searches on American citizens without probable cause, NSA surveillance of Americans without consent breaches this right.
A. The NSA uses its surveillance to eliminate threats of terrorist attacks and to spy on foreign government and their possible threats. However, spying on Americans as well is a violation of constitutional rights.
1. The fact that the NSA uses surveillance for national security is not opposed, however spying on Americans as well is considered outrage.
2. Americans are not only upset about the fact that these programs were kept secret, but also because they shouldn’t exist in the first place. (Paul, “The NSA is still violating our rights, despite what James Clapper says”)
B. Americans have a right not only to know when they are being watched, but also to have a choice to protect their own privacy.
Lastly, I will be discussing some of the things that have happened since Snowden leaked this information.
III. President Obama stated that he will consider reforms and review government surveillance that year. (Childress, “How the NSA Spying Programs Have Changed Since