Second Opinion

January 03, 2006

Fourth Amendment Violation?


The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution states: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized."

President Bush, soon after the 9-11 bombing has been allowing government officials to wiretap/ listen to cell phone calls from suspected Al Qaidea members to people in the United States. Select a choice below and justify your answer.

a. Is Bush violating the constitution for these wire taps without having subpoenas?
b. Or Bush should have expanded libeties to do what ever is necessary to protect Americans?

posted by A Second Opinion at 1/03/2006

37 Comments:

  • I do not think Bush is violating the constitution. If he is doing it to protect us, then yes I think it is all right. Yes, he might be getting into our personal lives, but he isn't going to come down here and tell us how to run our lives. He is doing this to keep us from harm. So I think he needs to do whatever is neccesary to protect us even if it does violatethe constitution.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:10:00 AM  

  • I don't think that it is alright. If my phone was tapped I would probably make a complaint. Most people need their privacy and need to talk to people about their life. Some people even get enough pressure to kill themselfs, and all they need is to talk about it, and I don't think that they would like it if they found out someone was listening in on all their private conversations. Thats what I think.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:11:00 AM  

  • It really depends...because some people have family that live in Al Qaidea or where ever...but he should only listen for a little bit and if it don't sound like anything except family talk then he should quit listening. Because thats really none of his buisness what they talk about. If it's some plans to bomb something then I think he should have the right to listen. If he listens and hears that somebody is going to bomb us then maybe this time he can save a lot of people's lives and loved ones!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:11:00 AM  

  • Yes he should have expanded it, because he should have to do the same as us cause if we cant do it no matter who he is neither should he.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:12:00 AM  

  • I think that Bush should find out how they are doing it and stop it. Are he can get the army are marines to find out and make cell phone that do not tap it. That is what I think Bush should do.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:12:00 AM  

  • I don't think Bush is violating the Constitution. He has a good reason also, He's trying to keep us safe and alive. I think there is other ways he could've got more information than this though. He could simply sit down with the suspect and just ask them a few questions. Based on what he says, he can decide whether he is or is not tied with the 9-11 bombing. Sure he might be invading your privacy, but if you were innocent and you didn't have anything to hide, why should it matter?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:14:00 AM  

  • I choose answer B. I think bush should have expanded his libeties because some Al Qidea members could be in other countrys by now. A place where the army has not been.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:15:00 AM  

  • I chose answer B. I do think that Bush has the right to listen in on phone calls, because after 9-11, there could be a traitor in America, who is planning another bomb attack on America. I do think that Bush should be able to expand liberties to be able keep our country safe. Some people think that if he can do it than so should everybody else, but their not the President, it isn't their job to keep our country safe. Anyway back to what I was saying. I do think that Bush should have the right to listen in on phone calls from other countries, and from people in the US. So yes he should.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:15:00 AM  

  • For one no i don't think Bush should invaid peoples privacy. Its wrong to invaid other peoples privacy without them knowing because its called being nosie or buting in.so i think bush needs to back off!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:16:00 AM  

  • I think that Bush is kind of doing both. He is invading our privicy and yet he still needs to protect Americans from harm. The people of America need to let the government listen to cell phone and cord phone to see if anybody is with Al Qaidea. Bush doesn't need to do this excessively. He needs to let people have their privicy.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:19:00 AM  

  • Should Bush have expanded libeties to do what ever is necessary to protect americans? yes! I think bush should have expanded libeties. Think about it the people he is taping could be planing to attack some big billding that you are working at. hello! That is what I think.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:20:00 AM  

  • I think that he is just protecting us. Because they could make threting phone calls like if they were going to bomb us but he shouldn't brake the admendment.And I dont think he would like some one to do that to him.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:23:00 AM  

  • I don't think that Bush is violating the constitution if he is doing it to make sure were safe. If he does hear your conversation then its not like hes gonna tell everybody he knows what you were talking about.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:24:00 AM  

  • to Cricket23

    I totally agree with you, because if he is tring to protect us then he is not violating the constitution. But... all he is doing is tring to make sure that everbody is safe and that our country is safe and in good hands also! But I do have one question Cricket how would he be getting into our personal lives? I dont really understand what you mean by that, I mean it could really mean alot of things,I would just like to know your meaning by that!! thanks for your time please respond!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:26:00 AM  

  • I say B. He is did what ever it took to find out who did it. He made a choice to keep us safe. Yes, he might be invading our privacy but he is keeping us out of harm.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:31:00 AM  

  • I do not think that President Bush is violating the Constitution. Even though they might be listening to our phone calls, just remember he is doing it to keep us safe. Tapping into our phone calls might seem like an invasion of privacy but if keeps me and other people from getting killed than I am okay with it. He is not telling us when or what to do, he is just keeping us safe. If that means stretching liberty then so be it!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:36:00 AM  

  • My choice is A and B. (A) He is violating the constitution and peoples privacy. He shouldn't be allowed to be listening to peoples coversations with out their permission. (B) He should be able to listen to our cell phone calls because if he does think we are one of them then he can. He is just protecting the people of America.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:39:00 AM  

  • I think President Bush should have every right to do any thing to protect America. If he didn't, we wouldn't have any protection.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:39:00 AM  

  • I think that President Bush is invading the peoples privacy by using the wire tap thing and listening to peoples conversations. He says that hes only listening to the suspected Al Qaidea members, but he could also be listening to anyones conversation he choses to listen to. It is okay to listen to actual Al Qaidea members, if he knows they actually are members, but it is wrong to if he justs suspect they are.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:40:00 AM  

  • I thingk that bush has a right to worry about his people's safety.If 911 just took place and your from Iran ro bagdad and are living in America then bush has a right to check you out.I think that if so worried about your privicy why are you so worried you have nothing to hide.America is in a time of crises if you are an American I say just suffer through it.It will pass.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:43:00 AM  

  • I don't think that the 4th amendment should apply to the president or government officials. If it's for our protection then they should be able to do it. We want to win the war and we have to try everything we possibly can.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:33:00 AM  

  • I think this could be a good thing. I mean its not like they are bugging every phone in the U.S., just certain ones. What if one of the suspected members called to make sure of an attack, we would know about it and could catch them before anybody got hurt. And its not like they're going to tell everybody about your personal conversations and stuff only they would know and they don't know you so it doesn't hurt any body.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:35:00 AM  

  • To:mmormongirl2010



    We need are privacy ya but so what as long as hes doing his job. He is protecting us from bombing and some other things. It is not like them people are trying to be nosey. They are protecting us.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:36:00 AM  

  • To me he is not violating the constitution because he just wonts is to protect us from harm. If he is taping into our cellphones he is doing it to see if there going to try plan another bombing. We cant afford to lose any more americans so no I dont think he is breaking the fourth amendment.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:37:00 AM  

  • I don't think that Bush should be allowed to listen in on private cell phone conversations. If they are suspected of something, then they should be brought in not unknowingly being violated. He should be able to tap a person's house phone.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:37:00 AM  

  • I think Bush is right to tap in and listen to American citizens conversations for our own safety. I do not think he should change anything the constitution. I think he should just suspend the Fourth Amendment until he is sure that we're safe and then put the amendment back into play and stop tapping our phone and computer lines. I think no body should have a problem with this unless your doing something your not supposed to do and you want to hide it from the government.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:38:00 AM  

  • No, I don't think Bush is violating the fourth amendment. He is only trying to protect us. He isn't going to care about the personal things he hears. Like girls talking about guys, and guys talking about girls. He is just trying to protect us from another terrorist attack. If he didn't tap some people's cell phones people would say he wasn't doing a good job protecting us. Someone always finds something wrong with whatever he does.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:39:00 AM  

  • I think that we should a right our own privacy. If someone wants search my house the only way I will let them is if they have a warrent. If they dont then they could just want to check out how to tap in to the security and break in when I am not home.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 8:42:00 AM  

  • I think that Bush has every right to do what will protect us Americans. Would you rather talk to someone and later they come and harm you in some way. In a way he is trying to protect us and he's trying to prevent the government from having to pay millions of dollars to pay for something that those people have destroyed. Just think of Bush as acting like you Daddy, your Daddy wants what is best for you and he wants to protect you. So ask yourself is Bush acting like a father or an irresponcible man?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 11:51:00 AM  

  • I absolutely do not think he is invading peoples privacy that call over there. What if someone from over there was trying to get someone in the U.S. to send them some kind of supplies or something to make a bomb or something. I wouldn't want them to bomb us with supplies that came from the U.S. That would be like we were bombing ourselves almost. It's not like they're listening to your calls to get juicy gossip or go tell the whole world what you said. They are doing it to protect the citizens of the U.S. If people think that is invading other peoples privacy then it sounds like they don't really want to be protected from other people bombing us. Bush is our president and he nows the right things to do, if he didn't would we have voted for him to be our president. No! If I called over to that place then I wouldn't care if it was wiretapped or whatever. Not that I would be calling over there anyway. But I do not think President Bush is invading anyone's privacy at all.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 11:55:00 AM  

  • The President does not have the right to listen to our phone calls. If he wants to find terrorists he can find something else to do. It's not right to listen to our calls.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:01:00 PM  

  • I think that it is ok for Bush to let people listen to other people's phone calls and to let people be spies, because he is doing it to protect us, so that a bombing will not happen again. Without these rights then we could all end up dead in 2sec.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:01:00 PM  

  • I think Bush should have expanded liberties to do want he wants to protect America. If people dont like that then I say tough.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:03:00 PM  

  • I am going with choice B because I think he should do whatever it takes to keep us safe. If he did not something might of happened to us.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:13:00 PM  

  • Bush is just making sure we are protected from terrorists and that we dont get hurt. Even though the amendment says that its not like its hurting anyone monitering the phone calls .

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:15:00 PM  

  • I dont think Bush is violating the constitution becauase he is protecting you and if he didn't protect you you would probly be dead. But also I wouldn't like him to tap my phone because of an important phone call. If he does lesten on the phone he shouldn't lesten four a long time.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 12:17:00 PM  

  • I think that President Bush is not violating the constitution because he is doing it to protect us. If it was for any other reason , then it would be wrong. I think that people should leave him alone because all he is doing is the right thing and there are people out there that just won't accept that.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, January 04, 2006 4:41:00 PM  

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