TO THE EDITOR:
An amendment proposed by Rep. Amash (R-Mich.) in the House of Representatives was recently defeated by a narrow margin, 205-217.
Of the representatives from North Carolina, only four voted in its favor.
If passed, the amendment would have denied funding for the National Security Agency’s blanket collection of the phone records from everyone in the United States, restricting its reach only to those records that pertain to persons under active investigation.
The defeat of this amendment should be of concern to all.
The federal government’s collection of information on every single American’s activity, without regard for the establishment of probable cause, is a violation of our individual rights, in blatant disregard of the Fourth Amendment. The general warrants of King George III were nothing compared to what our own government is perpetrating every day upon its own citizens.
Despite the defeat of this specific piece of legislation, it is not too late to voice your concern.
Call, write or meet with your representative and senators during their August recess.
Urge them to oppose the ongoing surveillance of millions of innocent citizens and residents.
Leighton Cline
Raleigh
