FBI Director James Comey justified the federal government’s intensive spy program on American citizens by telling the Senate Judiciary Committee May 21, “I believe people should be suspicious of government power. I am. I think this country was founded by people who were worried about government power so they divided it among the three branches.” First, he tells senators that he is concerned about government power–a message he knows will get picked up in the press and sent to the American people. People will read this, senators will hear it, and immediately be put to ease that the FBI spy program is not so bad after all because the director is suspicious of government power. I’m sure we all feel better.
Then, Comey gave senators some insight into just how massive the government’s spy program really is. According to The Hill newspaper, he discussed the PRISM program that requires banks, phone companies, internet service providers and others to hand over details about their customers. Agents can then use this information to look at photos, emails and other documents people upload. Comey gave the senators his word that these programs were run responsibly and added that the operations also helped to track down kidnappers and save children. While this is admirable, it is an admission that the program is not just used to “track foreign terrorists operating in the United States.”
Officials at these unconstitutional, unelected agencies of the government often use the word “metadata” when describing how they spy on Americans. Not to worry, they say, it’s just general data, nothing specific. But it can get specific real fast. That’s how an alleged FBI agent can show up on your doorstep falsely accusing you of taking pictures of an oil refinery in another state AND have your drivers license photo and a host of other personal information collected into a manilla folder. I know. It happened to me. And get this–taking pictures is not an illegal act. So if they have time to spend on such nonsense, think about how deep this spy ring goes. Nothing you do goes unnoticed. Government becoming as God.
The Fourth Amendment reads: “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 persons or things to be seized.” The cunning have found ways to undermine privacy and force us to accept oppression as security. Isaiah 30:12-14 says, “Because you despise this (the Lord’s) word, and trust in oppression…iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall…” We must return unto God’s word and rest in his freedom as in verse 15: “In returning and rest shall you be saved.”
