ah crap, it looks like I left out a word or two there...oh well, c'est la vie I guess.
just so everyone knows: I apparently changed the phrasing to "have been listening" but for whatever reason didn't feel the need to go back and add the appropriate grammar.
"Explain to me why the telephone companies should be at fault if the
government asked them to help out while investigating terrorism? If
government asked me to do something i'd do it even if its against my
morals or the law" -- Actual Redditor.