Should Americans Have a Right to Absolute Privacy?

This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Last week I asked: Should Americans have a right to privacy or bodily autonomy? If so, what should either right encompass and exclude? How would you word a constitutional amendment?

David suggests language for a right to privacy:

Government shall make no law abridging the right of consenting Citizens who have attained the age of eighteen to engage in non-commercial and non-lethal activities involving any sexual acts, rituals, games, meetings, performances, consumption of food, drink, herbs, plants, This guarantees a right to privacy in matters that we expect while still leaving the Government free to outlaw prostitution and casinos by limiting it to non-commercial activities occurring in the home.