Civil Society, Not Big Brother, Is the American Way

“I do think we need more cameras,” Republican Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the day after the Boston Marathon bombing. “We have to stay ahead of the terrorists.”

“We Need More Cameras, and We Need Them Now,” blared the headline at Slate magazine.

As with every terrorist attack and high-profile killing, the Boston bombing has prompted calls for Americans to give up civil liberties for the sake of security. Rather than gun control or airport pat-downs, this time the call is for a Big Brother-like network of police cameras allowing authorities to more closely monitor people who move about the streets.

But the story of the Boston bombers — the details of their crime and their capture — makes the opposite argument. We don’t need more government surveillance. We need to maintain robust civil society and public spiritedness.

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