This issue is especially relevant given the present restrictions that are being placed on people's civil liberties due to the political conditions of the moment. Before September 11, I would not have hesitated to say that every citizen has the right to express themselves however they see fit, and that privacy should not be compromised through the denial of the use of key encription. However, one's personal privacy is only important in so far as it does not infringe on anyone else's rights. The possibility that encription could be used to harm people makes me feel that restrictions should be placed on its use.

It is interesting to note how one's reaction to an issue is changed by the threat to one's personal safety. While I do feel very strongly that every individual has essential rights that include privacy, the current political situation has made me side with pragmatism over idealism. I continue to fear that the government, once given rights that allow it the freedom to monitor people's actions, will (and does) abuse such rights. There is a delicate balance between freedom and safety, a balance that we are trying to find during a time of international crisis.