One more thing on the phone database

The Trouble With America is that we have politicians like Trent Lott.

Not only has Lott, in the past, demonstrated his overt racism (with his affiliation to the Council of Conservative Citizens and his cheerleading of Strom Thurmond's old political party, the Dixiecrats) by statements and voting record, but he shows a very worrisome support of Bush's phone database program (you know, the one where all phone calls made by all Americans are being tracked and traced -- called by one spokesman "the largest database ever assembled.").

Lott characterizes his feelings on the program as this (reported by CNN.com):

"What are people worried about? What is the problem?" asked Lott, a former majority leader. "Are you doing something you're not supposed to?"

That's not the point, asshole. The point is that I have a God-given right to communicate without constant worry that my privacy is being stripped from me. Every American does. And if the government wants to wiretap me, they should have to get a fucking warrant to do it.

There is a whole court (United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) whose specific job is to authorize wiretaps. If you want to wiretap people's phones, get warrants.

Terrorism exists. It is in America, and I believe that terrorists will continue to try to attack the US and its interests. That, however, does not give our government carte blanche to impede on any civil liberty it sees fit.