Bad thing Quote by Penn Jillette
““Every time something really bad happens, people cry out for safety, and the government answers by taking rights away from good people. We have no proof that the bad, stupid crazy people who have planted bombs in the past few years used the phone much for their stupid bad crimes, let alone logged on the Internet. Yet when those kind of bad things happen nowadays, the government tries to do bad things to phones and the Net. The phones and the Internet are just good smart things, and the government should leave them alone. You have to watch the government all the time on everything. Thomas Jefferson didn't say that, but he said something very close to that.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public interview, 2015
The speaker warns that governments often overreach, curbing digital freedoms under the guise of security, despite lacking evidence that technology caused the threats.
In simple terms: Governments may misuse crises to limit internet and phone freedoms.
Key Takeaway
Guard digital rights vigilantly.
Themes
privacy
government overreach
digital freedom
Mood
cautious
concerned
Type
political
activist
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- activist campaigns
- legislative hearings
- online privacy tools
Key Concepts
surveillance
civil liberties
security vs liberty
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards can prevent abuse?
- How should societies weigh security against privacy?
A Different Perspective
Balancing safety and freedom is complex; some restrictions may be justified.
