[hawkharris]

The main point I take away from your comment is that the fights against rape, murder and bank robberies are more mature than the fight against invasion of privacy.

A look back in time reveals that the deterrents against these violent crimes have been established gradually, through education, civil organizing and political lobbying. For example, contrast the perceived consequences of rape in the 1940s with those in 2014.

The United States has also made considerable strides toward the right to privacy. For example:

- Weeks vs. United States, establishing Americans' right against unreasonable search and seizure - Lawrence vs. Virginia, which reinforced couples' rights to privacy concerning sexual conduct - Griswold vs. Connecticut, which solidified the right to marital privacy.

I don't dispute that protecting personal privacy is hard. Nor do I dispute the fact that agencies such as the NSA have cast an ominous shadow on the United States' hard-won victories in the privacy arena.

But American history is full of victories concerning privacy, some of which seemed far-fetched in their times. The silver lining of the NSA scandal is that it made everyday Americans more aware of privacy issues. That awareness should be leveraged in a positive way, to demand accountability and build on deterrents against snooping.