Washington Post identifies death of 4th Amendment

You know that the National Security Agency is spying on you, right?

It's been all over the news, consistent with the media's role as the Fourth Estate (watchdog of the powerful).

Now we're starting to get a sense of how big this problem is. See here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-broke-privacy-rules-thousands-of-times-per-year-audit-finds/2013/08/15/3310e554-05ca-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the NSA is capturing every single phone call and email from the US overseas. Every single one! Including content!

Given that the 4th Amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure and requires that the government demonstrate in court that it has probably cause to search a person or place or property--and since the government is NOT doing this in its national security spying programs--we can thus conclude the 4th Amendment no longer exists (at least in these cases).

And think of all those people out there scared to death that the 2nd Amendment is being threatened because "the government is coming to get our guns" (even when there is literally no law or program in place that does this).

The 4th Amendment is on life support

Combine the USA PATRIOT Act and the war on terror with the war on drugs, and the 4th Amendment is nearly dead.

Which one is that?

It is the one that gives you protection from unwarranted searches and seizures.

From the article:

"The Supreme Court gave police more leeway to break into homes or apartments in search of illegal drugs when they suspect the evidence otherwise might be destroyed.

"Ruling in a Kentucky case Monday, the justices said that officers who smell marijuana and loudly knock on the door may break in if they hear sounds that suggest the residents are scurrying to hide the drugs."

The decision was 8-1 with only Justice Ginsburg dissenting.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-search-20110517,0,6746878.story