Less Privacy Is Good for Us (and You) Discussion #2

In “Less Privacy Is Good for Us (and You)” Etzioni explains how privacy is seen as a right but really it’s not even mentioned in the Constitution. He states that is was “shoehorned in some thirty years ago.” He explains how there is a tremendous amount of “horror stories” in the media of how the government can listen in on your calls and how people can die from invasion of privacy. But the reality is that privacy is good for our safety. Etzioni explains how privacy can be a complicated and touchy issue.
One example he uses is HIV testing in infants. Mothers who are unaware if they are infected with HIV can transmit the disease to their children. However children can ward off the disease under two conditions: their mothers must not breast feed and they must immediately be given an AZT. But, in order for this to happen the mother must be aware (Etzioni). So you would say to have all mothers and infants get tested, right? Wrong! That conflicts with the mothers privacy. If the infant is tested positive then you automatically know that the mother has HIV. This leads to privacy issues. However this should be a case where privacy doesn’t matter because you have to think about the children’s safety.
Another point that Etzioni brings to the reader is biometrics. He explains how the government is losing billions of dollars because of fraud. But if we had more biometrics we would be able to track people based on natural features such as hand design. However, again this would be a problem with privacy. People would not be able to keep their past a secret. Yet, criminals would be less likely to get jobs at schools, kindergartens, or child care centers; which ultimately is protecting our society.
So Etzioni uses this article to explain the complicated arguments that arise when the subject privacy is brought up. Yes we all want our privacy but, less privacy is good for our society.