--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The government must give proper weight to…" description: "\"The government must give proper weight to both keeping America safe from terrorists and protecting Americans' privacy. But when Americans lack the most..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/al-franken-1407_america_the-government-must-give-proper-weight-t_1232349.jpg" --- # The government must give proper weight to both keeping… ![“The government must give proper weight to both keeping America safe from terrorists and protecting Americans' privacy. But when Americans lack the most basic information about our domestic surveillance programs, they have no way of knowing whether we're getting that balance right. This lack of…” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/al-franken-1407_america_the-government-must-give-proper-weight-t_1232349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/al-franken-1407_america_the-government-must-give-proper-weight-t_1232349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/al-franken-1407_america_the-government-must-give-proper-weight-t_1232349.jpg) > “The government must give proper weight to both keeping America safe from terrorists and protecting Americans' privacy. But when Americans lack the most basic information about our domestic surveillance programs, they have no way of knowing whether we're getting that balance right. This lack of transparency is a big problem.” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing national security and privacy requires transparency about surveillance programs. **In simple terms:** Need transparency for balance between safety and privacy. Key Takeaway Demand openness on surveillance. Themes privacy security government accountability Mood concerned serious Type political policy When to use this quote - policy debate - citizen activism - media reporting - legislative oversight Key Concepts surveillance civil liberties public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens verify surveillance practices? - What safeguards ensure privacy without compromising security? A Different Perspective Transparency alone may not resolve inherent trade‑offs between safety and privacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) [Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [I think what we've had in the past is the government has said, "Well, we need to collect the whole haystack." And the haystack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-what-we-ve-had-in-the-past-is-the-government-has-said-well-we/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [There is not much of a bureaucratic leap, if history is any guide, between a seemingly benign call for 'continuous situational awareness' and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/there-is-not-much-of-a-bureaucratic-leap-if-history-is-any-guide/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [In America, you have the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. You've got drones now being considered for domestic surveillance. You have the National…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/in-america-you-have-the-cyber-intelligence-sharing-and-protection-act/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [It is a little bit difficult to talk about things that do involve classified matters in public. 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Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-h-hamilton/) > [We must continue to be diligent in protecting Americans' civil liberties while preserving critical law enforcement tools we need to keep America safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/we-must-continue-to-be-diligent-in-protecting-americans-civil/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Whether it's protecting Americans' health care, rooting out corruption in Washington or ensuring every person has a shot at their version of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-allred/whether-it-s-protecting-americans-health-care-rooting-out-corruption/) [Colin Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-allred/) > [Block Watch, Crime Watch, we have hundreds of thousands of Americans, every day and night, risking their lives, going out for no pay as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sliwa/block-watch-crime-watch-we-have-hundreds-of-thousands-of-americans/) [Curtis Sliwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sliwa/) > [If Trump wants to appeal to protectionism, the president should be protecting Americans from global warming and the accompanying extreme weather that's becoming more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-haaland/if-trump-wants-to-appeal-to-protectionism-the-president-should-be/) [Deb Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-haaland/) > [Protecting Americans from harm goes beyond police and national defense. It's imperative that we not destroy the commons, the physical environment on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/protecting-americans-from-harm-goes-beyond-police-and-national/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [Before the CFPB, there was no single agency or entity within the federal government tasked with protecting Americans from predatory or negligent practices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/before-the-cfpb-there-was-no-single-agency-or-entity-within-the/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [A lack of transparency that fuels the idea that she is either hiding something or simply not someone to be trusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/a-lack-of-transparency-that-fuels-the-idea-that-she-is-either-hiding/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Antitrust law isn't about protecting competing businesses from each other, it's about protecting competition itself on behalf of the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/antitrust-law-isn-t-about-protecting-competing-businesses-from-each/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Putin has had many positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/putin-has-had-many-positive-experiences-working-with-western/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm crushed by the responsibility of writing a satirical book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-crushed-by-the-responsibility-of-writing-a-satirical-book/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I know I have an awful lot to learn from the people of Minnesota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-know-i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-from-the-people-of-minnesota/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Apple has long been a leading innovator of mobile technology; I myself own an iPhone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/apple-has-long-been-a-leading-innovator-of-mobile-technology-i-myself/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I am a Minnesotan, and not just because I root for the Vikings and the Twins. I like the Minnesota-nice sensibility. I like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-am-a-minnesotan-and-not-just-because-i-root-for-the-vikings-and-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My dad didn't graduate from high school, ended up being a printing salesman, probably never made more than $8,000 a year. My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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