2000-10-15

How much more of this do we have to put up with before people wake up and realize the US is quickly becoming a police state? I write and fax my congressional representatives fairly regularly, sometimes on my own, other times through EFF or the ACLU. I do get a response to almost every letter I've sent in, I imagine they are form letters, but it's still a response. Most of the time, the response can be summed up with, "I think it makes sense, forget all of you voting people who think it doesn't." Sometimes we're in agreement, other times we're not. The basic point seems to be that the elected US gov't is run by what makes sense to the congressperson, regardless of the voters. I didn't start voting until I was 20-something, mainly because my wife (girldfriend at the time) pestered me into voting. It still seems useless, as if my vote really is going to sway anyone at anything more than a local level. Ever wonder who really elects the President? The Electoral College does the voting for you, supposedly on behalf of your vote.

I say this stuff, knowing full well my father-in-law is a US Marshall, and retired policeman. Can you tell the difference between SWAT and regular patrolmen anymore? Ever watch those "live and in person" policeshows? There is a drinking game among law students based on it. The basis of it is, "for every civil liberty violation, drink. For every violation that you predicted that occurred, everyone else drinks. For ever violation you were wrong, drink twice." I found that drinking game somewhere, and once I rediscover the URL, I'll post it.

I understand that criminals have become more sophisticated, and more powerful. However does that mean every has to suffer at the hands of the few? Does that mean that we're all guilty until proven innocent? And who is going to prove us innocent? Think about the bill presented above.

Just because your friend, or co-worker, is suspected of being a fugitive, or committing a crime, your email can be read, your internet traffic can be recorded, everything you do electronically is now admissable evidence. On top of which, things you have no control over, anything the bank, doctor's office, insurance agency, and credit card company does electronically as part of business can now be held against you. You didn't do anything except take a job at the same company the person happens to work at, or vice versa. Now you're private life is recorded for public record.

Don't even get me started on identity theft, and how easy it is do get "official" documents from the government, even though the return address is a prison.