The supreme court's recent decision on gay rights, and Roe V Wade have something in common. They were both born of our constitutional right to privacy.
There is nothing in the constitution that says, "Every American shall enjoy a right to privacy". The supreme court pulled privacy out of a hat about a hundred years ago, taking note of the amendment that forbids quartering soldiers on the public, and deciding that meant we were entitled to our privacy.
That means that, if someone wants to publish your kid's picture, they have to get your permission. It means you have to sign a waiver to make a fool of yourself on some reality show.
It means that you and your doctor are the only parties who decide whether you take Viagra or not.
In short, you may take exception to Roe V. Wade, or Gay Rights, or the Supreme court making law, but you still have to agree that that right to privacy is a nice thing to have.
Now, I am betting that Ashcroft and company are going to try and make it go away. I am betting they will challenge the supreme court decision that gave us that right in the first place. Judge Bork had that in mind, fortunately, he didn't make it onto the court.
So, if you don't want John Ashcroft listening to your phone calls, I reccomend you prepare to fight for your right to privacy.
When they drafted the constitution and the bill of rights, we could protect our privacy by locking the doors and putting up the shutters.
The government wasn't particularly interested in our sex lives. Much has changed since then. Snooping is just too damn easy these days. Make sure the powers that be know you like having a right to privacy, and you want to keep it.