They’re watching you! (updated)

Right now -
maybe the motive really is all about making more money.

But later?

 It's 16 months since I wrote that line.  
It's now later.

Let's see what's happening now.

The original article was from September 28, 2013.  As usual, updates will be in rust colored italics.

---

 They’re watching you!

Hopefully, you've already asked yourself -
who are they? Why are they watching? Why me?

… and various other questions like that.

The statement is actually from the deadline if a newsletter from Capitol Hill Daily (sorry, the article is no longer available).

I need to let you know - I’m going to intentionally leave out some information at this point.
I will, however, fill in the missing parts before the end of the article.
It’s just that I think the point will be made better by leaving them out - for now.

Here is the beginning of the newsletter -
minus those few lines I mentioned -

Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), (name left out for now) across the United States filed nearly 600 requests for documents pertaining to a new technology…

A technology that’s emerging as the standard in “crime fighting” solutions…

…

And it’s picking up serious traction in small towns and major cities through law enforcement agencies all over the nation.

OK - it’s for crime fighting.
That must be a good thing - no?
Everyone knows crime is too high in this country.
It’s like with Homeland Security - Anything and everything that passes for protecting us from terrorists is pretty much given a free pass by the government to be put into law and then it happens.  Doesn't matter what it costs - any amount of money is worth it.  Doesn't matter whether “we the people” know about it or not.  In fact - it’s better if we don’t know anything about it - because by telling us - then the terrorist would also know.  

The same argument is being used here for fighting crime.  The less “we the people” know - the better to track down the bad guys.

There’s a very fine line here.

Some of you are maybe already questioning if I’m soft on fighting terror and crime.

Some are probably agreeing that - yes - things have gone way too far -
and the government needs to be controlled and we need our individual freedoms.

Let me generalize here for a minute.

Most of the people who would think I’m soft on fighting terror and crime - they would tend to be conservatives.
Most of those people are what’s known as the “religious right” are also in this group - thinking I’m too soft and that tough action needs to be taken.

On the other hand -
Most of the people who would say the government has gone way too far - they would tend to be liberals.
Very few of the people in this group would be part of the “religious right”.

So -
what are you expecting from this article at this point?

Are you expecting that I’d be on the side of the religious right - arguing that we need not only these things - but even more?

Or are you expecting that I’d be on the liberal side that’s worried about too much power for the government and not enough individual freedom?

Interesting options -

Conservative versus liberal

Religious right - yes or no

Individual freedom - yes or no

How about you -
where do you stand on these issues?

Do you fit in with the “norms”?
Are you in the opposite camp on this one?
Are are you conflicted about where to be?

OK -
this is where I give you the full opening to the article -
with the brown text being the left out portions -

Smile…

You’re on candid camera!

And if it weren't for recent documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), you wouldn't even know it.

Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), ACLU offices across the United States filed nearly 600 requests for documents pertaining to a new technology…

A technology that’s emerging as the standard in “crime fighting” solutions…

A technology that the ACLU discovered to be dangerously unregulated, with no future government conversation in the works, either…

And it’s picking up serious traction in small towns and major cities through law enforcement agencies all over the nation.

The problem at hand is an all-too-familiar reality…

These advancements in technology that increase nationwide protection come with an added cost: your privacy.

The government is abhorrently violating essential rights that are staples in America’s Constitution and criminalizing innocent American citizens in the process.