Blog 10- Essay 3

Samira Sujkovic

ENGL101-0768

Dr. Vasileiou

Essay #3

12/1/12

                               Giving up our rights for a better world

            The development of history has been changed through out the years for a better future for us human beings. Lives have been lost, to bring us at the point where America stands today. People have been fighting for their rights for many years and still are. Hurting one’s civil rights to protect another would make the world a safer environment. Why should we have rights if there is no safety guaranteed? Any precautions should be taken to avoid any dangerous acts in the future. I would rather have my rights violated then risk my life. I do believe at some points some authorities feel overpowered, and believe they could do anything they desire. This action isn’t right, what is only to be done should better the world we live in. Having a better world come’s with giving up one’s rights.

            In the film Minority Report it displayed many examples of rights being violated for the citizen’s protection. Throughout the film it portrayed the characters everyday struggle getting their rights desecrated. All the characters had no problem violating their rights; because it was for their own benefit. An example from the movie that portrayed this is when John Anderton got on the train, had his eyes scanned for an identity check. I believe taking this action brings the world in becoming a safer place for the public. Setting this kind of example in a movie just shows the public it is not a horrible thing to have your rights violated. Having an identity check before entering a train could prevent an enormous amount of crime that occurs in the MTA on a

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daily basis. In my personal belief I believe that it is better to prevent a crime from occurring than actually experiencing it.

            Authorities may be violating our rights, but at certain points we ask them to do so. There is only so much that could be done to keep us safe without having our rights violated. As stated by Joseph Goldstein in a news article, “The police department has quietly amassed a trove of telephone logs, all obtained without a court order, that could conceivably be used for any investigative purpose,” this is the procedure the authorities take when one has their phone stolen. This is one particular way in which one’s rights are being sullied to help a citizen retrieve their stolen property. In order to reclaim the victim’s telephone the police department checks the victim’s telephone log, to track down the thief. The procedure that is being done in most cases helps catch criminals and prevent them from committing the crime of stealing again. I do believe this is a great way to withdraw many criminals on the street even if it violates our rights; creating a safer environment for us citizens.

            Having a trusted law enforcement in a community is what makes the citizens feel safe at home. Many police officers experience crime on a daily basis, but it’s their choice to sacrifice ones right’s to help a community. An example that was given by Raymond A. Komar in his book The basics of police ethics he states “As example, a police officer stops a motorist for a traffic violation. The motorist offers a small amount of cash to the police officer in order to influence the officer’s actions concerning a traffic citation.” (Section 4) The police officer has a decision to make concerning this situation. Should the officer violate the motorist’s rights and search him after being approached that way; or take the money let him go and put the city in danger. Many police officers experience this choice of act on a daily basis. Police officers are on the streets preventing crime not promoting it.

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As the saying goes “We agree to disagree.” Everyone shares a different personal view on certain topics of discussion. Many people would disagree with the position I took but however it’s the right one for the community. People would disagree with this position because some people believe they don’t have privacy, and the higher authority has the power to search through personal information on a daily basis. Having an authority go through one’s personal things is a hard situation to experience, knowing they are innocent. Some people will feel that they are innocent and continuously get stopped by the law enforcement because of statistics. They believe that these statistics lead to racism and inequality in the community amongst others. I would address their position by simply stating would you put everyone’s life in danger for just one person’s rights.

One’s life is precious but it doesn’t amount to the importance of many lives. We should do what is needed to keep the environment around us a safe one. The law enforcement protects us on a daily basis, which is for our own benefits. Why live in a world where one is scared to step out of his home. Civil rights should be violated to protect us, move forward, and make America a better place. 

                                         Works citied page

1.)    Minority report. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Tom Cruise. Amblin, 2002. Film.

2.)    Goldstein, Joseph. “City Is Amassing Trove of Cellphone Logs.” New York Times.

Arthur Sulzberger Jr., 26. Nov. 2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/nyregion/new-york-city-police-amassing-a-trove-of-cellphone-logs.html.

3.)    Komar, Raymond A. “The challenges to Ethical Conduct.” The Basics of Police Ethics. N.p.: Raymond A. Komar, 2012 1-11. Print.