Large amounts of Americans have lost trust in their government and feel violated by the unwarranted surveillance of its citizens. But it is important in times like these to fully understand what is going on and how certain government actions will affect citizens.

Just two weeks ago, an amendment offered by Michigan Congressman Justin Amash failed on the House floor. This amendment looked to heavily cut back on NSA funding and in turn, cut back on its surveillance of Americans. The bill’s failure is a sign that many lawmakers are still in support of the NSA programs, and there are several reasons why.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects American citizens’ right to privacy. Furthermore, it protects our freedom against illegal search and seizures. The NSA programs are certainly a violation of our privacy, but if you think about it, so is another government-sponsored agency. The TSA, those people that search you before you get on an airplane, also is a government-sponsored agency.

The only difference between these two programs is the TSA actually forces you to take off your shoes and belt, and sifts through your belongings before you can go on an airplane.

An obvious difference between these two programs is the TSA doesn’t really bother people when they are getting on airplanes. I certainly would not board an airplane without going through security.

With all of that being said, the Constitution was not created in order for us as citizens and lawmakers to pick and choose what it applies to. The Fourth Amendment is meant to be a blanket right that is being violated by both the NSA and the TSA, however, we only are up in arms about the NSA. If you believe that the government is violating your Fourth Amendment right by having records of your phone calls yet happily go through security before entering an airplane, you are a hypocrite.

I am not saying that I am against the TSA and that is not the point I am trying to make.

I would not get onto an airplane without it, and I believe that it is completely necessary to have post-9/11. I only am trying to point out to those who are up in arms about their Fourth Amendment right being violated, as one can’t pick and choose which programs they want the law to apply to.

Furthermore, it has been stated that these programs have thwarted dozens of potential terrorist attacks. There is no doubt in my mind that had even one of these terrorist attacks been successful, the government would be getting a lot of flack for that. Where were you? Why didn’t we know about this?

As President Obama said several weeks ago, “We can’t have 100% privacy and 100% security.” If these programs have saved even just one innocent life in the United States or abroad, I personally am fine with what they are doing. The enemies that the government is protecting American citizens from operate in a different way than we have ever seen before.

They have ties domestically and internationally and these programs are necessary in order to ensure safety back here in the United States.

Government oversight and transparency of these NSA programs is needed. U.S. citizens have the right to know just how much information the government can extract from their personal devices. That being said, these programs should not be abolished. If they are ended completely and a terrorist attack does occur, people will undoubtedly wonder where the intelligence agencies and programs were. But how far will these programs go? When will they stop?

With more transparency to Congress and American citizens, these programs will be more effective and less scrutinized. Having checks and balances on NSA programs the same way we have them on our three branches of our government will ensure that the NSA does not abuse the powers that it has and exists for the sole purpose of keeping Americans safe.

Americans do not like it when they feel as if their government is hiding things from them; this is a classic example of that. We can make this work, keep people safe and make them feel like their privacy is in tact as long as everyone cooperates with one another.

It is difficult for people to see things this way, especially when they live in mostly small towns such as East Lansing, Ionia, Farmington Hills, or Troy. I can almost guarantee that if you had to commute to work on a subway in New York, Washington, D.C., or Chicago each and every day before and after work, you would be relieved that there was someone out there working their butt off to make sure you are safe.

Before you jump to conclusions and are stuck in your ways about the NSA programs, think things through in a logical way and understand the reason why they exist.

They aren’t out there to listen to the conversations we have with grandma and grandpa, they are out there in an effort to make our family, our friends and us safe.

Matt Fagan is a State News guest columnist. He can be reached at faganmat@msu.edu.