January 29, 2007
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Civil Rights
A UK paper is reporting that the UK government is considering placing X-ray cameras on lampposts. This will help identify “armed terrorists and other criminals.” The reason this would be controversial is that the cameras will see through clothing. Here is the link: Link
I want to stop here for a moment. Do you realize how civil liberties are thrown out the door these days with one simple word attached? What is that word? “Terrorists.”
Now you will have people say, “Dan, that is the UK.” But the US and the UK have mirrored each other on these issues on so many fronts.
Almost every time I mention any of these issues in a post, some are disturbed. But so many have the response, “Whatever we have to do to protect ourselves from the terrorists.”
Now let me see what we have done in the name of “protecting ourselves from the terrorists.” We install cameras on streets. We allow wiretapping of US citizens. We first think it is crazy but then find out it is only to protect ourselves from the terrorists. We allow people to be held indefinitely at prisons with no trial. But it is ok. They are “suspected” terrorists.
Finally, someone suggest that an x-ray machine be placed in airports. People say it is crazy. But it is optional and it will help us identify terrorists.
Am I the only one who wonders where this will stop?
Comments (113)
It’s rather depressing.
They used to sell x-ray glasses… this is old technology… hee hee hee
Ever read the book, “1984″ ??? It’s coming true …
No, I often wonder that myself. This whole protecting ourselves from terrorism is getting a little out of hand. Isn’t that what they want? They want us to be scared!!! And we’re defiantly acting like we are. So, aren’t we just giving them what they want?
It will never stop
no, you aren’t. that’s ridiculous. they’re teaching us to live our lives in fear to keep us ‘safe’.
(this is gonna come out wrong) screw protesting the war, people need to protest being protected.
I think x-ray cameras on city streets is definitely crossing the line…
I don’t think it’s going to stop until people rationalize their fears.
Everyone’s becoming paranoid about terrorists. Bah.
No.
I don’t think it will stop
It really is scary the freedoms we’re losing due to “security”. They’ve been delving into this issue a bit on 24 this season.
Ugh. That’s horrible. I’m no ACLU girl, but that makes me mad.
i don’t like it.
they should just shoot people with lazers.
No, you’re not the only one. It makes me think of the book “1984″. It’s 20something years late, but here it is – Big Brother is watching. We are throwing away the civil liberties our ancestors fought so hard for in the name of protecting ourselves against the terrorists. All because we blindly followed certain voices that we were told it would be “unpatriotic” not to follow. Seems to me this craziness is what’s unpatriotic.
The only problem with all of this security is that it really has little to no effect on the target, Terrorists, but effectively works against the very ones it was meant to protect.
it is kind of ridiculous that it seems like all you have to do to justify something these days is to say “oh it will keep us safe”. what happened to the bill of rights? the constitution?
No – you are not the only one concerned about this. I am quite concerned!
Reread 1984. It won’t stop.
It won’t ever stop. As always….it boils down to a selected few getting rich. Our society won’t tolerate the solution……all out no-holds barred-war. This is a religious war……but we aren’t really in the fight…….”our side” is even afraid to call it a religious war like our enemies constantly do. The fringe elements that are our enemies need to be eliminated (that’s politically correct for “killed”) if there is ever to be peace. That will just never happen. Even when Israel is nuked, I think we will have with a limited response. Good grief…we even refuse to protect our borders because we want cheap produce!
george orwell had it right, sadly.
terrorists are doing exactly what they set out to do.
scare us. change the way we live. we live in fear. that’s what they wanted.
i think the lamposts are an invasion of privacy, and would result in many lawsuits.
it won’t ever end, unless people realize that this is what the terrorists wanted.
living this way makes us bound for another terrorist attack. you have to be ready, yes.
but not change the way you live day to day to this extent.
Man in his futile attempt to control sin can do no more than increase sin.
I also find it disturbing, but I wonder how reliable that story is. “A leaked memo seen by The Sun…” sounds rather nebulous.
We’re at war. Whenever we’ve been at war in the past, our civil liberties have been curtailed. This is nothing new. Had you written a letter to the editor criticizing Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, you might have easily gotten a black eye for your trouble. I believe the administration is doing a good job from abusing these extraordinary powers.
No, there’s a lady in Florida who’s worried about it too.
It will never stop.
Installing cameras on lamposts in the UK sounds an awful lot like a step towards the world portrayed in “V for Vendetta.” Quote from the movie: “I know you were afraid; who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease… Fear got the best of you.” I think that we as citizens these days are collectively wimps.
It won’t stop. Someday when the technology becomes available perhaps in a hundred or so years from now they will be wire tapping your mind and eventually everyone will be made to conform in thought and action. Human society will be conducted like a giant ant colony with no margin for deviance or independent thought on the part of the individual. Democracy will be out the window and you had better hope that whoever is running the show is a nice guy because he, she or they will be a God-like power.
no, Dan. I’m with you all the way on this one.
“Terrorists” is not a keyword for “whatever the hell we want.”
No, you’re not the only one. I vote for a world-wide reading of 1984 and viewing of V for Vendetta and similar movies.
I think it should stop now. Lamposts w/ X-ray = dumb anyway. How would you get the man-power to watch all those cameras? The only thing that would serve to accomplish is that, after the fact, you could go back through and watch the tapes and say “Oh yeah, we could have stopped that from happening…”
Why would you want to live that way?
I don’t wonder where it will stop. We’ve seen this before. I know where it will stop. It will stop when the government has complete and total control over the populace. And I don’t think anything can prevent that. 50 years, and America falls into the annals of history as a once free country, an experiment in democracy that succeded for a time, but ultimately fell to the same thing that destroys all free nations: lust for power. The powers that be here in America won’t stop until they control everything.
Just my little political rant for the day.
I do not accept everything they do in the name of stopping terrorists, only the ones that make sense to me as having a realistic chance of doing something. These x-ray cameras are a bunch of bull. I wonder how and when it will stop but there are some measures that we can take to make ourselves safer that do not involve x-ray cameras. The point is though that there is not possible way to protect ourselves from every terrorist attack so we need to stop aiming for that goal. You seem to also be implying that we are very accepting and gullible and I agree with that completely.
No… and I am shocked that you actually told us what you think for once
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~~ Benjamin Franklin, February 17, 1775
bringing back the red scare with a different face, history repeats itself
I with saintvi on this one. Makes you wonder. Or inquiring minds want to know! 8)
No, it’ll just keep going on and on. xD
I live in as much fear of terrorism as I do of SARS, global warming, and Godzilla.
I don’t care if some government Joe or Sally can see me naked while I’m on the streets. Lucky them. However, I do question its feasibility on a large scale and the “rightness” behind it. I’m not a fan of big government at all. I find this to be a case where the government is trying to be bigger than it should be.
Our civil liberties are rapidly eroding. We’re all a bunch of sheep, and I’m not sure who said it, but we get the government we deserve. Talking about it on blog sites won’t change anything. I think all need to be more proactive in writing to our legislators demanding that they get out of our personal business and stop taking away our rights as American citizens to come and go as we please without the beneift of being watched all of the time.
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin
The presidents of old knew what must be done and did it, be it war, peace, and matters of law. When I read this I must ask of myself if we deserve some of the liberties bought by our forefather’s lives.
It’s not going to stop … and it doesn’t matter how much people protest, because the powers that be won’t listen regardless. One more reason not to live here anymore.
x-rays see through clothing alright, right down to your SKELETON. how fucking ridiculous. it’s not like it sees only thru clothes and ur skin is all bear and shit. It’s a fucking skeleton…ugh…i hate you right now.
it is insane the length governing officials will go… with x-rays on lamp posts…
bad enough they have installed cameras at intersections so when you run a red light they have your license plate on camera to send you a ticket.
Ha
“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” – Ben Franklin.
Or, in short, “He who gives up freedom for liberty deserves neither.”
I think my point here has been made…
Ah, looks like Building_A_Mystery already posted that quote…
Well, I’m going to stick with my forefathers on this one. I only hope that our own government today will return to the Constitution and consult that on whether we should do these things.
yes, I stopped caring a while ago. I don’t mind if people see me without my clothes on, i look better that way. plus london has LOADS of streetcrime (not just on the east-side) so this doesn’t just help with terrorists.
cheers,
m
I know it sounds conspiracy-theorist, but I do believe the white house (and other governments) are trying to control people with fear. Remember all the hooplah a while back about how “Terrorrists could strike anywhere!! Even in YOUR small town of Nowheresville, Arkansas!” It’s bull! No terrorrist is going to form a plan to attack some small town that doesn’t matter!
And now, 6 years after 9/11, are we really any safer? Have we fixed the problems that helped 9/11 be carried out, meaning things like the lack of communication between intelligence agencies in the US? No.
Instead we’re doing just what that school with the child molester posing as a 12 yr old student is doing. We’re completely ignoring the cause of the problem to begin with (someone allowed that guy to enroll, without getting his background checked for accuracy) and instead will be installing locks, gates, and “better security.”
It’s the White House’s specialty– do stuff that makes everyone feel like you’re helping them out, like you’re protecting them, except you’re not really doing anything significant when you look closer at it.
To answer the question: It will stop only when we, as a people, come to our senses and demand for an end to the lunacy.
I really don’t care. If they want to see me naked all they have to do is have a pretty girl ask me. Or maybe not. Thankfully, nature has seen fit to provide me with heavy layers of protection (hair) in case prying eyes want to take a peek. So I laugh at their cameras!
Somebody please arrest Dan. He’s obviously with the terrorists.
REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!
And the worst part about it is that those who protest the decay of civil rights are “anti-american”.
I’m with you on that.
I got nothing to hide…unless someone is trying to set me up…but then again, who would bother with someone like me?
i wonder too…its an excuse really. Beware Dan, “Big Brother” is almost here.
Derek
P.S. weird video, id be pretty pissed at those mormons
I don’t think it will ever stop…
X-ray machines on every lamppost? I’d rather take my chances with the terrorists.
It is shocking to me how many Americans are blaise about their civil liberties. The UK has undermined their own freedoms for years after committting atrocities in Northern Ireland–and you are right, what goes on over there is up for discussion over here, and the other way round.
Lincoln curtailed some civil liberties in extreme circumstances, and was thoughtful and self-critical bout it. Now Bushie and the gang are opening Americans mail. It isn’t the same thing.
i think trading our freedom for security is not a fair trade. i would rather be free than always safe? life becomes boring when you live that way.
i, too, am concerned for our liberties being taken away.
ugh anymore excuses we can make up so we can continue to control and invade people and their lives????
ger
BTW, it’s nice to hear your opinion on things for once, Dan.
eh…
Glam embryo shots, take your best jab. I rather not waste the time & brain cells.
It’ll start to decline in importance as 9/11 becomes a distant memory. Assuming we shift our military focus away from Iraq. As long as there are no terrorist attacks in the next 10 years then we won’t be faced with such decisions. But the second another 9/11 happens it’ll be a huge hike in over-bearing protection.
No, I often wonder where it will end.
It will only stop when we say ENOUGH with a stronger voice and in a different medium than the internet.
Send a Message with your vote, with your dollars, with your voice
When we nuke em and don’t have to worry about the bastards cause they’re all dead.
Fucking backwards civilization.
I really enjoyed the video at the top of the page.
I do not think that there is anywhere that is safe to be and it is going to get worse as we go,nothing is going to change that.
It won’t until we have had all freedoms taken away.
Thanks, terrorists, you haven’t done really much of any thing these past few years, but your damaging fire continues to spread…
No, I’m with you 100%.
It is shocking to me how many Americans are blaise about their civil liberties. The UK has undermined their own freedoms for years after committting atrocities in Northern Ireland–and you are right, what goes on over there is up for discussion over here, and the other way round.
Lincoln curtailed some civil liberties in extreme circumstances, and was thoughtful and self-critical bout it. Now Bushie and the gang are opening Americans mail. It isn’t the same thing.
Posted 1/29/2007 11:35 AM by TheWhale
Yes, but the IRA was worse. I hate them so much (IRA), and all these daft americans gave them money!
The stupidity of people will never stop.
And we would get some type of radiation from these x-rays, and all die of cancer. I would rather face these terrorists.
Funny you mention it because my one of my classes was discussing the same exact thing today.
Maybe I’m just pessimistic, but I don’t think it’ll ever be possible to catch all of the “terrorists.”
How many terrorists have they actually found besides the ones that have already blown something up? Always hearing about new methods of finding terrorists, yet never hear about them actually capturing terrorists before the act…
I wonder the same thing all the time. And they use the excuse. “It’s not disturbing you in your daily duties.”
Hell yes it is. I don’t was a bunch of nameless faces seeing my naked fucking body walking past. I don’t want them seeing my bank account. I don’t want them listening to my PRIVATE conversations on my phone.
Dan, as believers, we know where it will stop. The question is, “How much do we put up with, before fighting back?” If that is hard for anyone to wrap their mind around, ask yourself this, “When would you have stood up and fought for your country if you were a colonists – the beginning, the middle, or the end?” Another way to think about it is the picture of the frog sitting in a kettle of cold water with the heat on. When will the frog jump out? Never, it will sit there and croak (sorry…sort of).
It’s a slippery slope, and we’ve already started to slide down it.
I do not understand the insane obsession that we have with privacy. I think if you are in a public place you have given up your rights to privacy. The right to privacy is not guarenteed anywhere in US law and was only invented by the supreme court recently.
no
this whole fear thing is getting out of hands. it sucks going thru the us airports.
there is this enneagram test i did yesterday. it is posted on my blog. according to the test results, america law enforcers are at type 6, unhealthy levels.
Well duh! If you just don’t wear any stupid clothes, then their cameras won’ be able to see through them, will they? Sheesh!
Jesse4Jesus =D
I am fine with this.
I have no fat rolls nor surgical scars to hide.
I live in Baltimore . We have cameras in some areas in the city which monotor the streets 24/7(they call them”believe” cameras, and the city police use them) they aren’t x ray (yet). after a while you forget they are even there.
Not anymore.
Most definitely not. I’m pretty terrified personally.
Oh, Dan. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re completely right. We’re doing things to apparently protect us, when these things we are doing are hurting our basic rights. It’s absurd.
I applaud you for this post.
No. It’s becoming ridiculous and scary.
dude theres this band called the terorists and they totally ROCK MY FACE OFF and thats cool too
You are definitely not alone.
With my x-ray machine…I can see what is really in your coffee mug.
If we blow up the world, there won’t be any more terrorists. Maybe that’s the logical end.
No. But I’d consider it a patriotic duty to try to halt the civil liberty abuses and the theft of rights from our citizens.
And to destroy devices that are blatant attempts to maintain power over an increasingly disaffected populace.
That’s going too far.
Yeah, you are.
This is certainly not the first time that civil rights and liberties are limited for the sake of warfare. And I am all for it.
Dan, I like you man. When you drop the sarcasm you and I are beyond the same page. It would be nice to go to church with you someday. To find what we have in common. I’ll bring the mac n cheese to the potluck…
Nope.
But in all honesty, if you have a problem with the whole X-ray thing then you have what I call the Superman complex. X-ray cameras do not see in color. If you are looking at a woman, you don’t see nipples and peach/yellow/brown/whatever skin. You see outlines. It’s not that invasive. You would really see no more than if the person was wearing skin-tight clothes. And instead of in full color, it would be a weird blue-ish color.
it won’t stop…. unfortunately it will take a lot to stop this from turning into something very bad.
Yeah, that does take things a bit too far.
foot in the door, baby
Nope.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~~ Benjamin Franklin, February 17, 1775
Posted 1/29/2007 9:18 AM by Building_A_Mystery < He actually had a good quote for this.
Good on you for finally writing more so we know about how you stand on things. Everyone has said it, and I’ll say it, Terroism is always going to be there, why over-react on it now? That’s like getting terrified about shadows: you can’t stop them being there, so why bother?
’nuff said….
I am wondering when they threw the constituion protecting our rights out the window, or who is using it for toilet paper these days.
It is bad enough that the bad guys are scary. Now those supposed to be good guys are scary as well.
Say ‘Patriot Act’.
L,r
I’ve wondered very often when it will all stop. Slowly but surely, we are ending up like the people who live in “terrorist” countries. They have no rights, and the way the taliban, the hezbollah justify their actions is to keep their country pure & without enemies. I just pray that people will wake up and start asking questions and to want answers
I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Those who will trade freedom for security don’t deserve either.”
Is it an act of terrorism to go to such lengths to protect against terrorism?
Besides the fact that X-rays can sort of damage your gonads. Way to go UK- make your future generations deformed or infertile.
Beyond that: that isn’t invasion of privacy at all, right?
They should invite terrorists to a game of paintball and shoot them like crazy. It’s not unethical…it’s resourceful.
I agree. The terrorist paranoia is getting ridiculous, and I don’t see how x-ray cameras will really help anything. Exactly how would they use them? are they going to hire thousands of people to watch the cameras and have cops on every corner to receive the watchers’ reports? Stupid.
hah, who knows, perhaps this was the goal of terrorism, to rile up fear and create excuses that would slowly allow power to encroach upon liberty
> It will never stop, because the seniors in high office have tasted the forbidden fruit of knowledge and enough is never too much…. The airport, train terminal, the intra/interstate bus station all make sense for cargo and personnel scanning for contraband and weapons…. But behind closed doors there are threats that must be rooted out, according to those astute individuals at the former ‘hunt down Bin Laden’ bureau…. ( although I can’t really fault them on Bin Laden, ’cause he is hiding in an area that has NO maps of any kind, about the terrain….
Peace
Nope, it’s a really good question…one that unfortunately has no end in sight.