Why do you need rights "if you're not doing anything wrong"?

Some time in the future when those who subscribe to the "if you're not doing anything wrong" way of thinking become the victim of data mining and an old Face Book posting or even a YA question or answer is used against them, they will change their opinion.

Of course, it will be too late.

All of the information being collected is subject to such "mining" and none of us lead perfect lives.

Rights are rights, regardless of whether someone is doing something wrong or not. They need to be protected. Simple fact is, you can do absolutely nothing wrong but if someone listens in or studies you long enough they can make a circumstantial case that you have done something wrong, even if you did nothing. Just take a look at the McCarthy era hearings from the 50s to see how good people can be made to look like criminals even though they did nothing wrong.

You have nothing to fear unless you are doing something wrong. Tell the people of China that. A lot of those people are in jail being tortured. Get the government out of my business before we give them too much control and end up like China. Learn from history!

In many ways there is no difference. There is always a tension between the need for safety and security and the rights of individuals. That tension will never go away, and the need for vigilance on both sides is perennial.

Criminals already have more rights than taxpaying, law abiding citizens in this country. Protecting the rights we have left will keep the government in check until we can take it back again, I pray.

Your "rights" tell you what you CAN do... And what the Government CANNOT do about it. If you had no rights, then the Government could force you to do whatever THEY wanted, and there is nothing you could say or do about it... In fact, you could be in trouble for just saying "I have rights"

Without rights you are a slave.

The world is full of people who want to control other people's labor, wealth and lifestyle.

That is why we have had wars since the beginning of mankind.

Rights protect you from unscrupulous government actions