Wiretaps violate Fourth Amendment

To the Editor: Seems like some persons have no issue with the federal government tapping into their phone calls. Most justify their opinion by stating they are doing nothing wrong, therefore they have nothing to hide. Others say the safety of America overrides the constitutional protections of the Fourth Amendment. Keep in mind that if you use a dial-up modem, DSL, cell phone, e-mail, fax, or credit cards, this applies also. Each uses a phone line somewhere in its process. We are a nation of laws. If you do not like the existing laws, you act in a manner to get the laws changed - not ignore the legal process already in place. The president stated that he would abide by the law and get a court order any time he ordered wiretapping. He did not follow suit; and Congress failed to raise any questions or hold any oversight hearings. The Fourth Amendment guarantees, “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 president had it right when he told the American Society of Newspaper Editors, “I don’t want you reading my personal stuff, there has got to be a certain sense of privacy. You’re entitled to how I make decisions, and you’re entitled to ask questions, which I answer. I don’t think you’re entitled to be able to read my mail between my daughters and me.” Yes Mr. President, that is exactly right. No one is above the law. Our nation was built on the concept of checks and balances. Disregard for the law or lack of historical knowledge can only give rise to a different form of government than we have all been accustomed to. Toby T. Ryan Hamburg