--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From a personal perspective, because I'm…" description: "\"From a personal perspective, because I'm on a watchlist and went through years of trying to find out why, of having the government refuse to confirm or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/laura-poitras-22687_addresses_from-a-personal-perspective-because-i-m_1741050.jpg" --- # From a personal perspective, because I'm on a watchlist… ![“From a personal perspective, because I'm on a watchlist and went through years of trying to find out why, of having the government refuse to confirm or deny the very existence of such a list, it's so meaningful to have its existence brought into the open so that the public knows there is a…” quote by Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/laura-poitras-22687_addresses_from-a-personal-perspective-because-i-m_1741050.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/laura-poitras-22687_addresses_from-a-personal-perspective-because-i-m_1741050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/886/laura-poitras-22687_addresses_from-a-personal-perspective-because-i-m_1741050.jpg) > “From a personal perspective, because I'm on a watchlist and went through years of trying to find out why, of having the government refuse to confirm or deny the very existence of such a list, it's so meaningful to have its existence brought into the open so that the public knows there is a watchlist, and so that the courts can now address the legality of it. I mean, the person who revealed this has done a huge public service and I'm personally thankful.” [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Revealing secret government lists exposes hidden power and enables legal scrutiny, highlighting the importance of transparency for democratic accountability. **In simple terms:** Exposing secret lists lets courts review them. Key Takeaway Support transparency and legal challenge. Themes government privacy accountability whistleblowing Mood concerned hopeful Type political explanatory When to use this quote - journalism - legal reform - public policy - human rights Key Concepts surveillance civil liberties legal oversight Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can ensure oversight of secret lists? - How does transparency affect public trust? A Different Perspective Public awareness may not lead to immediate policy change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Legality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legality/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-service/) [Through the years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through-the-years/) ## Related quotes > [The public knows that human beings are fallible. Only people blinded by ideology fall into the trap of believing in their own infallibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-public-knows-that-human-beings-are-fallible-only-people-blinded/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [I don't believe that the public knows what it wants; this is the conclusion that I have drawn from my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-believe-that-the-public-knows-what-it-wants-this-is-the/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [I think that the public is in and the public is in big, and the public is not, I don't think going to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/i-think-that-the-public-is-in-and-the-public-is-in-big-and-the-public/) [Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/) > [The public already knows about me more than I ever wanted it to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/the-public-already-knows-about-me-more-than-i-ever-wanted-it-to-know/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [“We proceed in this society of ours on the possibly valid but untrue assumption that the public knows what it wants-- indeed, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/we-proceed-in-this-society-of-ours-on-the-possibly-valid-but-untrue/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [The public never knows what he wants, but he always wants what he knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demis-roussos/the-public-never-knows-what-he-wants-but-he-always-wants-what-he-knows/) [Demis Roussos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demis-roussos/) > [I think what the public knows as 'Southern rock' will never be repeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickey-medlocke/i-think-what-the-public-knows-as-southern-rock-will-never-be-repeated/) [Rickey Medlocke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickey-medlocke/) > [If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. 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When you can rely on things that the public already knows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-roque/pop-is-about-speaking-everybody-s-language-the-imagery-and/) Nuno Roque > [The president can take steps to make sure the American public knows what its Justice Department and FBI have been up to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/the-president-can-take-steps-to-make-sure-the-american-public-knows/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [The public knows how many good things there are as part of the Affordable Care Act. The Republicans say they're going to repeal. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/the-public-knows-how-many-good-things-there-are-as-part-of-the/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [Historically, international law lent a measure of legality to the colonial system, and allowed the West to set the rules for participation as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/historically-international-law-lent-a-measure-of-legality-to-the/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [A critical component of White House Scandal Defense 101 is rallying the partisan base. This keeps approval ratings in territory where the wheels don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/a-critical-component-of-white-house-scandal-defense-101-is-rallying/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [“What did “good government” really mean? Langlie and his brotherhood promised an end to political corruption. (There’s no evidence that Langlie ever even took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sharlet/what-did-good-government-really-mean-langlie-and-his-brotherhood/) [Jeff Sharlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sharlet/) ## More by Laura Poitras > [In all my work, I'm interested in understanding big issues through the lives of individuals...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/in-all-my-work-i-m-interested-in-understanding-big-issues-through-the/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [In terms of sources coming forward, I really reject this idea of talking about one, two, three sources. There are many sources that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/in-terms-of-sources-coming-forward-i-really-reject-this-idea-of/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [Just consider the CIA and its effort to suppress the Senate's review of its torture program. Take in the fact that we live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/just-consider-the-cia-and-its-effort-to-suppress-the-senate-s-review/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [I was in correspondence with an anonymous source for about five months and in the process of developing a dialogue you build ideas, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/i-was-in-correspondence-with-an-anonymous-source-for-about-five/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [There are people who are always going to try to engage in activity that is illegal and they're going to try to subvert surveillance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/there-are-people-who-are-always-going-to-try-to-engage-in-activity/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [Snowden has presented us with choices on how we want to move forward into the future. We're at a crossroads and we still don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/snowden-has-presented-us-with-choices-on-how-we-want-to-move-forward/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [In all my work, I'm interested in trying to understand the human consequences of government policies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/in-all-my-work-i-m-interested-in-trying-to-understand-the-human/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [We've already seen shifts happening in some of the big companies - Google, Apple - that now understand how vulnerable their customer data is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/we-ve-already-seen-shifts-happening-in-some-of-the-big-companies/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [I don't speak Arabic - I know a little to get by, but that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/i-don-t-speak-arabic-i-know-a-little-to-get-by-but-that-s-all/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [I think one of the most shocking things is how little our elected officials knew about what the NSA was doing. Congress is learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/i-think-one-of-the-most-shocking-things-is-how-little-our-elected/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [We're definitely in an era where the government wants to keep more secrets and it wants to come after anyone who's exposing those secrets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/we-re-definitely-in-an-era-where-the-government-wants-to-keep-more/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [The free software community should be supported more widely. I’m totally in solidarity with what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/the-free-software-community-should-be-supported-more-widely-i-m/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [Certainly, when it comes to my profession as a journalist, that allows the government to trace what you're reporting, who you're talking to, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/certainly-when-it-comes-to-my-profession-as-a-journalist-that-allows/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [People are starting to understand that the devices we carry with us reveal our location, who we're talking to, and all kinds of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/people-are-starting-to-understand-that-the-devices-we-carry-with-us/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [When the most important decisions are made in secret, we lose our ability to check the powers that control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/when-the-most-important-decisions-are-made-in-secret-we-lose-our/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) [Explore all 27 Laura Poitras quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) ## More Addresses quotes > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... 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