The following thought for the day is the text of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, pulled straight from the Bill of Rights. Short and sweet, it is intended to keep the government from prying into your private life without a good reason. It does not say "no searches and seizures," it says no "unreasonable searches and seizures." A warrant is the vehicle that shows appropriate, independent review of the reasons the government wants, for example, to read your email and listen to your phone calls. The Fourth Amendment has been in effect since 1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.