I hear what is being said about "costs". I feel the pain.
The price tag on this is what we are willing to forfeit in civil liberties. Liberties that have been fought for, bled for, and died for...it's a price I am not willing to pay because the resources/motives to defend our liberties belong to all us. We are all stewards of liberty. Freedom has been hard fought for, with high prices that are irrelevant to "money".
I don't care about costs in dollars...I care about the costs to our personal liberties. I do care when money can be better used to help fund clean, renewable energy sources. Will we be slaves to oil forever? Will we neglect the pursuit of liberty because it is something that we think we will always have?
"Privacy" is dead if our voices our silenced by the demands of some that "need" access to this information to "defend" out liberty. There is an array of contradiction that I cannot begin to fathom. Why do they need this information "at the flip of switch"? What/who are they protecting? Self interests? Ideologies that say the government knows what is best for me when it comes to my liberty?
Our liberties (one of those is privacy) cost much more than anything as silly as money.
We, many in higher education, are bending to the will of government that is "protecting" us from unseen enemies. They want access to our libraries and now they want unrestricted access to ALL of the information that flows into and out of our instituions? Why do they need to know who has checked out "Catcher in the Rye" or the "Communist Manifesto"? I question this authority. I believe it is in the best interests of all "Americans" to question the need for access to types of information that I consider to personal information.
We are approaching a slippery slope. Where will it take us? Will they next need to know about all of the information that flows into/out of my own home (castle)?
I appreciate the efforts of some to protect the safety of Americans and the American ideals of liberty against "terrorists" (how are we lableing "terrorists" anyway?) - what is a "terrorist"? Will I be a "terrorist" if I disagree witht the agenda (whatever it is) of the "right wing"? Is a "terrorist" anyone who threatens "America"? Who are we as "Americans"? What is most dear to us? Our fancy cars and our money? Or the simple rights that are necessary for a human being to be who they are as themselves without fear from repercussion from oppression.
I am not willing to pay the price for what they ask and further, it's not mine to give. Liberty (which includes privacy) and freedom belong to all of us.
Slashdot Mirror
I hear what is being said about "costs". I feel the pain. The price tag on this is what we are willing to forfeit in civil liberties. Liberties that have been fought for, bled for, and died for...it's a price I am not willing to pay because the resources/motives to defend our liberties belong to all us. We are all stewards of liberty. Freedom has been hard fought for, with high prices that are irrelevant to "money". I don't care about costs in dollars...I care about the costs to our personal liberties. I do care when money can be better used to help fund clean, renewable energy sources. Will we be slaves to oil forever? Will we neglect the pursuit of liberty because it is something that we think we will always have? "Privacy" is dead if our voices our silenced by the demands of some that "need" access to this information to "defend" out liberty. There is an array of contradiction that I cannot begin to fathom. Why do they need this information "at the flip of switch"? What/who are they protecting? Self interests? Ideologies that say the government knows what is best for me when it comes to my liberty? Our liberties (one of those is privacy) cost much more than anything as silly as money. We, many in higher education, are bending to the will of government that is "protecting" us from unseen enemies. They want access to our libraries and now they want unrestricted access to ALL of the information that flows into and out of our instituions? Why do they need to know who has checked out "Catcher in the Rye" or the "Communist Manifesto"? I question this authority. I believe it is in the best interests of all "Americans" to question the need for access to types of information that I consider to personal information. We are approaching a slippery slope. Where will it take us? Will they next need to know about all of the information that flows into/out of my own home (castle)? I appreciate the efforts of some to protect the safety of Americans and the American ideals of liberty against "terrorists" (how are we lableing "terrorists" anyway?) - what is a "terrorist"? Will I be a "terrorist" if I disagree witht the agenda (whatever it is) of the "right wing"? Is a "terrorist" anyone who threatens "America"? Who are we as "Americans"? What is most dear to us? Our fancy cars and our money? Or the simple rights that are necessary for a human being to be who they are as themselves without fear from repercussion from oppression. I am not willing to pay the price for what they ask and further, it's not mine to give. Liberty (which includes privacy) and freedom belong to all of us.