The Critical Right of Privacy

"Do people even read Orwell these days? I mean, really. 1984 should be required reading for all adults. Not recommended for kids-- too sad, too violent and nightmarish, and no happy ending. But the whole point of that book-- the whole tragic life of the main character was based on the fact that he had no privacy from the government. There were no private rights. There was no room for anything sacred, or secret, or personal or individual. That made it nearly impossible to even think outside of the government's box. I don't think people realize what a necessary right privacy is. People say, "Oh, I don't have anything to hide, so I don't care that they're spying on me and my children." Think again. When you have no personal space, no privacy rights, you can be labeled, analyzed, and controlled according to the value system of anyone but you. Freedom is very much tied to privacy rights." ~Christel Lane Swasey