The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security and privacy of their customers.
The implications of this case are much more far reaching than simply Apple. The United States government could use the same unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify expansion of its authority in almost any direction. Laws must be put in place (or precedent set through the judicial system) to put a cap on what is reasonable.
The security and privacy of the people is of utmost importance and should not be sacrificed for any reason.
Source:
http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/02/eff-support-apple-encryption-battle