Do you think it is wrong that we monitor phone calls of potential terrorists that are US citizens?

Answer 1

Monitor them, track them down & lock them up.

Answer 2

I think it is wrong that the Bush Adminstration has monitored calls without any sort of warrant and has done so very secretly and hostilely when addressed about the issue. It does not take very long to get this special warrant to okay monitoring someone's phone calls, though it is true you have to get the special warrant for each of their phones. A roving wiretap is what follows the person around --- the government can tap any phone they use. These, in themselves, are not debatable insomuch as they haven't been used before and perhaps effectively. Other presidents have used wiretaps and monitored phone calls in the past (you see it all the time on TV shows with local cops, don't you?)

I think it's wrong that the executive power has become triumphant over even his own people. It is not hard to get this warrant, and yet, the Bush Adminstration concedes they do not follow the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, in which it disallows refraining from warrants. FISA was passed and must be followed, under law, but the debate is over whether the Act is unconstitutional, because it infringes on Bush's powers as the executive.

I think monitoring phone calls of potential terrorists is wrong without warrants. It is not necessary to have all this squabble. Get the warrant. As for the rest of the issue, it's hard to tell who a potential terrorist is. Is he just some guy who calls home to Pakistan a lot who is also enrolled in flight school? Is he a guy with the last name Hussein? How are these potential terrorists getting picked out for monitoring? Who is monitoring? The other problem of this issue is the secrecy --- we will probably never know the answers to many of these questions. Had someone not blown this story, we may never be asking this question on Yahoo Answers, and regardless of our answers, there is true correct response.

Answer 3

Being a US citizen does prevent you from becoming a terrorist or a spy.Many terrorists will be helped by people who are here as US citizens, people who we call "moles" ( sleeper spies ). I believe the government should be allowed to uncover such people and monitoring phone calls is a good way to do it.

Monitoring the call does not affect you in any way other than the fact that someone knows what you talked about. So long as the what you talk about is not publicized you have not been hurt.

I would rather have the government know about my calls than to have the telephone secretly used by terrorists who intend to damage my country.

Naturally if you are using the telephone for some illegal or immoral reason,you would not want others to know about what you are doing.

Answer 4

They are monitoring everyone's phone calls. Ask this question. How do you identify a potential terrorist unless they are an actual terrorist. Government is in places you really don't want them. We are not really a free country.

Answer 5

Absolutely not. If you are a terrorist hiding under the vail of being a U.S. citizen, you should be monitored by all means available. The good of many or the good of a few!

Answer 6

If we can divert an attack and save innocent lives, I think its not that big of a deal. Those that have the capability to listen are not interested in your cookie recipe or your phone sex. With 300 million people in this country and many of them have numerous lines, they really need to focus on the bad guys and not your gossip about high school. Use some common sense here folks. I speak from experience.

Answer 7

No, it is not wrong, but proper procedure should be followed. Court orders can be obtained. There is a chance for much abuse the way is done now. But with the court involved it provides at least some checks and balance to the system.

Answer 8

Well yes and no but I really don’t say ANYTHING on the phone I don’t want people to hear. I use a cell a lot and now a days it is safer to give your Credit Card number on the internet then the cell phone.

Answer 9

If there is PROOF that would make an idiot believe that something is up, then NO it is not wrong. BUT without PROOF that something is going on then yes it is wrong to monitor calls.

Answer 10

With a warrant yes, fallow the rules or get impeached nobody is above the law not even the decider.

Answer 11

Not if they have just cause and proof that it merits it. It after all is for our protection. But we seem to be loosing all our freedoms and rights and I do not feel we should loose our privacy unless it merits it. Also anything that may be other than a national threat should not be maintained nor used against a person in my opinion. Thanks for asking have a good one:-)