America is supposedly the “land of the free and home of the brave.” What happens when the land of the free isn’t so free anymore? The government is swiping our freedoms right from under our feet and we are oblivious to it. Everyone deserves the right to privacy. We cannot continue to let our country suffer like this.

The recently introduced Stop All Piracy Acts bill (SOPA) is one of the many ways the government is attempting to constrain our nation. The legislation, set aside by President Barack Obama and the Congress, was a thinly veiled attempt to censor everything we do on the Internet. The Protect IP Act (PIPA), a Senate companion bill, also set aside for now, was the first attempt at censorship. If you’re not concerned yet, how about being constantly watched and recorded? Yes, “Big Brother” is watching. A new street light currently in testing is equipped with surveillance cameras, government broadcasting, and it is interactive. For example, if you litter, the street light will bark at you. There are no private conversations – the government is always watching.

Even with all of these crackdowns, you would expect to have your body to yourself, right? Think again. The government wants to see you naked. If you have been to the airport lately, the “backscatter” scanners have been installed in dozens of  airports around the country. These scanners capture pictures of you as you innocuously walk through. These pictures are so revealing – see naked – many news stations would not air the photos.

Government agents can attach GPS trackers to your car without you even knowing about it. The Government can listen to anything you say, and hold it against you as well. (Remind you of any Socialist or Communist regimes? Just spreading the fun around to everyone, aren’t they?) Anything you say, can and will be held against you. There are many more examples I could give of our freedoms being taken. I just don’t want to get that depressed at the moment. Check out just a little bit for yourself.

Do you feel safe in this country anymore? Do you feel free? I believe that the government should not have this much power and control over us. I also believe the Founders fought to prohibit just this type of government over-reach into the lives of United States citizens. Do you really believe that the government knows best? Is trying to censor us, really letting us be free? Current policies that infringe and outright destroy civil liberties provide all of us with a chilling vision of what a communist country looks like from the inside.