I will put up with a lot of things in the name of national security. I will have my crevices searched at the airport by an angry lady in blue. I will listen to any number of annoying announcements telling me to look at people’s “suspicious packages.” I will even allow the government to tap my phone and read my mail if they deem it necessary. But so help me god, I will be over that Canadian border faster than you can say “Don’tcha know, eh?” if the federal government goes anywhere closer to my dearest Internet. The Obama administration is sadly following a long line of administrations violating civil liberties by trying to speed up the process that allows the government to look at any user’s encrypted information over the Internet. Yes that means e-mails, instant messenger, Facebook and even that special DVD you thought no one would know about. Nothing will be safe from the government’s view if they find a “just cause.” Of course, the feds already have some measures in place that allow them to see this information, but the process is made lengthy and complicated by websites trying to protect their users. With this new legislation, the information would be required by websites to be readily available at a moment’s notice and could be easily accessed at any time. Surprisingly, the sites themselves have met this invasion with total silence. Google, Skype and Microsoft have not let out a single comment, where normally they are the first to make the government jump through hoops for any information. As a citizen who communicates mostly over the Internet, I am deeply concerned with how Big Brother-ish this situation is looking. The Internet is a sacred place where ideas and free speech reign supreme, and no one should be afraid of the man looking over their shoulder. I know all you Taliban-fearing folks are afraid that the Internet will allow terrorists to plot more efficiently and without being seen or heard, but to this I say stop being so afraid and start standing up for your rights. There comes a point where “national security” stops being national security and starts being a direct invasion of our personal property and ideas, and this we should not stand for. I can guarantee that this power can and will be abused readily by law enforcement agencies just because it is there. Security steps such as wire tapping and Internet tapping may seem to serve some purpose, but to the majority of Americans they should clearly stand out as steps up towards an Orwellian police state.