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Government's purpose is to serve its people, but what does "serve" really mean? Does it mean to protect or uphold? Doctorow believes that the government's main priority should be to uphold the rights of its citizens, specifically their right to privacy. On the surface this seems like the easy answer, but is a citizen's privacy more important than his or her safety? The government has a responsiblity to uphold the rights of each citizen, but this responsiblity conflicts with its responsibility to protect its citizens. In certain situations the government needs to choose one, but what one should it choose? The decision the government makes forms its shape and shows its priorities. Choosing to violate its citizens rights to privacy could lead down a slippery slope, but then again, it could be interpretted as the braver decision. Obviously it will be less popular, but protecting human life should be a main priority.