One point some time ago, I was reading an opinion article that took the stand that says the government’s surveillance of the general public is very “Big Brother” like, from Goerge Orwell’s book, 1984. The author says they want it stopped and their privacy returned.
Have we become that which was written about in 1984? Sure. What of it? I’d rather the governments come out and say what they’re doing rather than employing other clandestine methods.
I get why people don’t like the idea of big brother watching them. I almost get why they want them to stop with all the cameras at intersections, stores, garages, etc.. But right now big brother is watching you while you read this or any other website. Cookies, Java and other apps that are on websites track you and figure out the things you like and don’t like. But that’s not the big brother we’re talking about right now. We’re talking about our government hovering over us, like a watchful parent over a small child. We don’t like it much, do we?
But when something untoward happens to an individual, then what?
Just for one moment, try to imagine, put yourselves in a victim’s shoes. How do you feel about the idea that the guy that slammed you into the wall and took your possessions can be caught because there were security cameras snapping images?
Oh wait, that won’t happen to you. Right?
People love to take that approach to many things. Too many people think that way, and a lot are right, by mere statistical happenstance.
- In London: 164 reported muggings a day. (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk)
- Brooklyn, 2006: Nine robberies per month in Park Slope in 2006. East Village averaged 20 per month, and the Upper West Side 16 per month.
- U.S. 2005: For every 1,000 persons in our population, 21 are assaulted. (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov)
But there is always that chance that it just could happen to you. Plain and simple. Wouldn’t you want recourse of some measure?
When terrorists hit, we scream at the government: “Why didn’t you stop them?”
And then months upon months of hearings are conducted at our tax expenses as to how something happened.
When the government then enacts surveillance programs in an effort to stop forms of terrorism, we start screaming” “Why can’t we have our privacy?”
We can’t have it both ways. Pick one, and accept the other side of the coin as it is.
