Thomas Jefferson once wrote:
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information.
This admonition was imperative to sustain the ideals upon which our country was founded when Jefferson wrote these words at a time that marked the twilight of the founding fathers’ generation and the infancy of our nation. Jefferson was primarily concerned with maintaining a free press and eradicating illiteracy when he wrote this, and in this modern age we have certainly taken heed of his warning in these respects. But that is not to say that his words carry any less meaning for our generation. Today we are plagued by a threat to our liberty that is every bit as dangerous as those of Jefferson’s time, but it is a plague that each of us has the ability to cure. The threat is our own apathy.
I encourage anyone reading this who takes Jefferson’s warning seriously to please find the time to read The Washington Post‘s “Top Secret America.“
If I could extract only one sentence from the wealth of information compiled in this multi-part exposé to vivify Thomas Jefferson’s words for our generation, it would be this:
Every day, collection systems at the National Security Agency intercept and store 1.7 billion e-mails, phone calls and other types of communications.
Pay attention. Stay informed. Find the time. This is the responsibility that comes with our freedom.