Running head: ENGLISH ESSAY SEMI-FINAL/FINAL DRAFT

English Essay Semi-final/Final Draft

Gunnar Newland
Wright State University

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Gunnar Newland
Research Writing and Argumentation ENG-2100
Professor Jane Blakelock
March 14, 2016
English Essay Semi-final/Final Draft
As technology advances, laws governing new technology fall behind. Its legitimate to
wonder whether the men and women in congress understand much about how the internet really
works beyond operating a social media account or accessing email. While lawmakers may be
nave in the ways of technology and the web, the NSA certainly is not. Edward Snowdens
exposure of the massive amounts of metadata the NSA collects on American citizens from
internet browsing habits and phone conversations enflamed and left the public to choose whether
the government is justified in their actions for the sake of national security and Edward Snowden
is a traitor, or whether the NSA has gone too far, invading the privacy of the men and women
they are meant to protect. A better initial question is whether this issue is black and white, or a
more complex issue, and if so, why are people in such heated debate.
The NSA, also known as the National Security Agency, is a U.S. intelligence agency
specializing in data collection, and counter-intelligence. The NSA protects U.S. communications
and information systems through signals intelligence, also known as SIGINT. In simpler terms,
the FBIs field agents protect U.S. soil, while someone working for the NSA protects government
computer systems and information, and finds intelligence to thwart external system threats. The
NSA accomplishes most of their goals through the collection of information, most often from

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computer systems of their own, or they acquire them from organizations and businesses such as
phone companies, internet service providers, or even search engine creators like Google. One of
the people working for the NSA was Edward Snowden.
The controversy with the NSA truly began when Edward Snowden leaked tons of
documents of the NSAs information gathering on citizens of the United States in 2013. The
documents detailed the type of information the NSA collected, where citizens browse on the
web, what terms they use on search engines, their names, where they live, their associates and
more. The NSAs aim being to find individuals performing suspicious activity, such as searching
the phrase, bomb building components easily found around the house into the Google search
bar, and place them on watch lists as possible homeland security threats, and if necessary, detain
those they suspected of terrorism then investigate them. The documents also shared the formula
or algorithm the NSAs program used to detect what the agency dictates as a possible threat, or in
other words, what types of phrases or keywords caught their attention. Ironically enough,
searching online privacy was at one point enough to put someone on this watch list (Singh,
2014). Edward Snowden had to go into hiding, since he is now a wanted man. It seems he is
being sheltered in Russia, a country that is not allied with the United Sates. Many see Edward
Snowden as a whistle blower, shining a light on the NSAs unregulated behavior and a call for
reform, while others consider Edward Snowden a traitor who threatened national security. A look
at both sides of the debate is necessary to understand this dilemma completely. Edward
Snowdens supporters are a great place to begin.
Snowdens supporters make many arguments to substantiate the claim that his behavior is
completely ethical, and the NSA needs to be held accountable for their unregulated activities.
The most common complaint is that these investigations on ordinary citizens are held without the

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NSA having to acquire a warrant. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution forbids illegal
searches where a warrant is not obtained and no probable cause is determined. The right of the
people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches
and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized. With the NSAs mass investigations of American citizens, they
do not obtain any kind of warrant granting them the authority to make these investigations on the
public. The problem has been the NSA's arrogant assumption that it could, without judicial
warrants, collect data in bulk on anyone it chose - Americans, foreign leaders, foreign companies
- and keep it for years, just in case it was ever needed (The Editorial Board, 2013, p. A16). A
detective or police officer would have to obtain a warrant or have a probable cause to suspect and
investigate a citizen. The NSAs opponents believe the agency is not authorized to make what
many people would call preventative and anticipatory investigations on U.S. citizens that have
nothing motivating them besides, just in case, which many claim violates the Fourth
Amendment, protecting citizens from unwarranted search and seizures. Edward Snowden
himself has explained his actions and ethical views around this controversy. "I don't care
whether you're the pope or Osama bin Laden. As long as there is an individualized, articulable,
probable cause for targeting these people as legitimate foreign intelligence, that's fine. I don't
think it's imposing a ridiculous burden by asking for probable cause. Because, you have to
understand, when you have access to the tools the NSA does, probable cause falls out of trees
(The Editorial Board, 2013, p. A16)."
Some wish for the NSA to be reformed, or more government oversight be enacted on the
agency to hold them more accountable for their actions. President Obama has shown little

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interest in changing the system, claiming the government already has plenty of checks and
balances preventing the NSA from overstepping their boundaries. The head of the NSA is
General Keith B. Alexander, but that isnt the only position he mans, Gen. Alexander actually
holds two posts: head of the signals intelligence operation conducting cyber-espionage and
secondly, the head of Cyber Command, the unit set up in 2010 as the military's cyberspace strike
force. Here too, discussion has begun in Washington's government circles about whether to
separate the signals intelligence and Cyber Command functions, or choose a civilian rather than
a military leader to head NSA (Messmer, 2013). The NSAs opponents believe Gen. Alexander
holds too much power, being the head of several departments with the power to monitor online
activities. It was earlier stated that in order to truly understand the controversy of the NSA and its
actions, one needs to explore both positions of the debate. An examination of the NSA supporters
and their arguments is necessary.
An examination of the emotional environment and culture of the NSA and its associates
is necessary in order to understand the drivers of the NSAs behavior. Journalist Ellen Messmer, a
writer for Network World attended a conference held by the NSA and noticed how worried
everyone holding the conference seemed. Just to show how tortured they were about this
conference and inviting the press, NSA's public affairs split the conference apart, telling press
like me that we could attend one full day of the three-day conference, but the last two days were
off limits except for two one-hour sessions and a couple of demos. (Yikes, I've been invited to
less than half a conference!) One vendor trying to help NSA deal with its press-phobia issues was
flabbergasted, saying, It's like they don't really want you to come (Messmer, 2010). It is
obvious that since the Edward Snowden incident, the NSA fears the intense scrutiny it has been
under recently. The NSA and its associates have grown wary around the press, constantly fearing

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the next slip up where they get to be the publics punching bag. Organizations are bound to make
mistakes under pressure, but the question to many is whether being under the magnifying glass
justifies what their perceived mistakes. The NSA has proven from time to time that it is not
entirely about keeping secrets, and is capable of honesty and disclosure. One such occasion
comes from an article by the Guardian written by Adam Gabbatt, The National Security Agency
has admitted that some of its analysts deliberately abused its surveillance systems, with one
analyst disciplined for using NSA resources to track a former spouse.
The agency said Friday it had found very rare instances of willful violations of NSA's
authorities as officials briefed reporters that various agents had used the NSA's controversial
data monitoring capabilities to spy on love interests.
NSA takes very seriously allegations of misconduct, and co-operates fully with any
investigations - responding as appropriate, the NSA said in a statement. NSA has zero tolerance
for willful violations of the agency's authorities.
It said none of the abuses involved violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or the
Patriot Act - violations of which have been highlighted by the Guardian based on documents
leaked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. Instead, the abuses were related to misuse of the
1981 Executive Order 12333, which governs how US intelligence operations are used (Gabbatt,
2013). This story has been reported by other sources such as Bloomberg Business and Cnet.
One retired U.S. Navy Admiral, Mike Mullen had strong words on the subject of Edward
Snowdens leak of the NSAs documents. He calls the incident a data breach and a crisis nd
said he was concerned about the damage has been done and the potential damage. An
ominous claim followed, when he called the cyberthreat to the United States something that

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threatens the existence of America, It can literally change our life so we cant recover
(Messmer, 2013). Mike Mullen did not elaborate beyond this. This opinion lacks detail, evidence
and explanation. Instead of addressing why Edward Snowdens actions are not justified, or why
the NSA is justified in its actions, it uses fear tactics to imply Edward Snowdens leak could
endanger everyone.
President Obama has made a statement after the Edward Snowden fiasco, and has taken a
position in support of the NSA. President Obama, along with many in Congress, said Americans
have nothing to fear from the NSA or other eavesdropping efforts, which escalated after 9/11. At
the same time, Obama said the disclosures should precipitate a public debate on privacy. He said
companies are amassing mountains of personal data on consumers and conducting surveillance
by other means, such as through the use of drones, but such activities by private entities are not
governed by Fourth Amendment safeguards.
What I want to do is to set up and structure a national conversation, not only about these
two [NSA] programs, but also the general problem of data because this is not going to be
restricted to government entities, Obama said (McCutcheon). Obama brings up a solid point
about companies respecting customers privacy, but he also dodges the issue about the NSA, with
a simple No worries, it is fine, response, with no evidence backing up his argument. Another,
much stronger defense of the NSA comes from its director, Gen. Keith Alexander. He explains
that the same programs currently being criticized helped prevent fifty-four terrorist plots against
the United States along with its allies. The documents Edward Snowden leaked prove the
programs helped capture 300 terrorists by 2008. Gen. Keith Alexander included more success
stories attributed to these programs, Alexander cited the cases of Najibullah Zazi, an AfghanAmerican who pleaded guilty to planning an attack on New York City's subway system, and a

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previously undisclosed plot to blow up the New York Stock Exchange. If the NSA programs had
been in place before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and at the Pentagon, Alexander said,
they could have been prevented. NSA surveillance would have revealed that Khalid al-Midar,
one of the 19 hijackers, was in San Diego prior to Sept. 11 and communicating with an al Qaeda
safe house in Yemen, he said.
We weren't able to connect those dots before Sept. 11, Alexander said. So these
programs are helping us connect the dots (McCutcheon). This is solid evidence that the NSAs
programs, policies and actions have consistently protected the American public. While it proves
the effectiveness of the programs, it will not change the minds of those who value privacy over
security. It may be because the two are two sides of the same coin, and opinions will differ based
solely on the priority they place privacy against security. The amount of lives saved by the
programs successes is definitely a strong defense for the NSAs actions, one that can stand toe to
toe with almost any opposition thrown against it.
As tempting as it is to take a side, a balance is necessary. While privacy is important, and
Americans rights should not be violated, the nation needs protection from enemies outside and
inside the country. The government and the people have to try to fight for a balance between the
two since they are integral to the stability of the country. A nation where security and privacy are
not both important is unimaginable. The nation, the government and the citizens need to
remember this as time goes on, and make proceed with voting and writing policy appropriately.

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References
The Editorial Board. (2013, December 31). Editorial: The Year of Edward Snowden, criminal
and/or hero. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, p. A16. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic
database.
Another opinion piece article about Edward Snowden's ethical or unethical behavior. It
is much easier to find material siding with Edward Snowden than material
condemning his actions. This article has actual quotes from Edward Snowden himself,
explaining his views on the NSA's surveillance. These quotes are invaluable for the
essay. Edward Snowden's own words on the matter are of huge importance.
Gabbatt, A. (2013, August 24). NSA analysts 'wilfully violated' surveillance systems, agency
admits. The Guardian. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic database.
I thought it would be helpful to include an instance of honesty from the NSA, where
they shared when employees abused their authority as a NSA worker. This is
obviously an effort to alleviate the concerns many have about the NSA's unrestricted
power, and it seems to have had little to no effect on the public's view on the agency. I
thought it was worth citing the NSA's own thoughts on restrictions they have put on
their own workers.
Gibbs, M. (2013, June 14). Lying, prying and spying: Is the NSA worth it?; Is the NSA defending
their intellectual property with more success than they protect our country? Network
World. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic database.
Here is an example where the NSA has done something that makes the public lose
faith in in them. The NSA stopped someone from selling a t-shirt with "The NSA: The
Only Part of the Government that Listens," because it apparently violated a trademark.

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Those in opposition of the NSA's recent behavior need only point to this here to
exhibit evidence of what they claim is the NSA going too far. A near violation of
someone's first amendment rights and the government worrying more about their
image than actually doing their job is what many would call these actions. The point is
to highlight the actions taken recently by the NSA that people are criticizing, people
cannot real the controversy or understand it if the unethical actions in question are not
explained.
McCutcheon, C. (2013, August 30). Government surveillance. CQ Researcher, 23, 717-740.
Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/
This is basically my best source for those in support of the NSA. It's been an insane
struggle finding anything that wants to stand with the NSA. This neutral gathering of
the facts and both sides of the debate is the best I've found. The fact that supporters of
the NSA haven't been very vocal about why they do what they do is the reason the
public doesn't want to trust them, this idea wil be reflected in the paper.
Messmer, E. (2010, September 16). How I got thrown out of an NSA party; For NSA, the press
'makes them nervous'. Network World. Retrieved from
http://www.lexisnexis.com/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=512D-6G11-DYTC900J&csi=270944,270077,11059,8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&
perma=true
I thought the emotional state and feelings of those among the NSA and its associates
would be an interesting point to mention, considering their anxieties would bring light
to the reason for their actions and philosophies. The anxiety of being under public
scrutiny definitely had some effect on their actions and policies, so I think trying to

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look at things from their perspective would be very helpful to the second half of the
paper. Mainly the quotes from the article are the most useful asset here.
Messmer, E. (2013, June 11). Retired admiral calls NSA leaks by Edward Snowden a 'data
breach' and 'crisis'; Speaking at Gartner conference, retired US Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
calls cyberthreats something that could impact the very existence of America. Network
World. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic database.
This newsletter article has an excellent example of why some might defend the NSA
for the data collecting Edward Snowden had leaked. The quotes from the ex-admiral
are the most useful piece of the newsletter. The hope is to represent both sides of the
NSA controversy. In order to give readers a full understanding of the NSA controversy
both sides of the issue need to be highlighted.
Messmer, E. (2013, November 12). Should the NSA be reformed? Fierce debate rages; Edward
Snowden leaks have fueled calls for change by lawmakers, industry, U.S. allies. Network
World. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic database.
A newsletter proposing the NSA be reformed is a huge asset in highlighting the
controversy between supporters and opponents of the NSA's data mining. The title was
the first eyecatcher for the newsletter, and how the conclusion that the newsletter
would be useful came to mind. The intention is to gather as many opinions on the
subject from both sides and explain how each side of the debate feels after explaining
what exactly the NSA does and why it exists. Quotes from this article will go a long
way in helping explain thoughts from those opposed to the NSA's "snooping." This
newsletter seems to be aimed at those skeptical, so it will be very helpful to see where
the skeptics are coming from in their distrust for the NSA.

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Moyer, E. (2013, August 23). NSA admits to some deliberate privacy violations. Retrieved
March 14, 2016, from Cnet website: http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-admits-to-somedeliberate-privacy-violations/
Just like the Bloomberg Business link, this is meant to corroborate with the Guardian's
article.
Singh, S. (2014, July 5). Mere Researching Online Privacy Gets You On NSA's 'Watch' List!
EFY Times. Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic database.
I really am only using this article to cite it as evidence to the fact that the NSA puts
people who search online privacy into their watchlist. I thought it would hit home, and
make people realize how much the debate really involves them.
Strohm, C. (2013, August 24). Lawmakers Probe Willful Abuses of Power by NSA Analysts.
Retrieved March 14, 2016, from Bloomberg Business website:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-23/nsa-analysts-intentionally-abusedspying-powers-multiple-times
This is meant to corroborate with the source from The Guardian. There isn't any other
purpose for this article in my paper.