What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
I don’t find this to be true about Vegas, and maybe my New York too, after watching the documentary “Spying on the Home Front.” This documentary addressed the government’s intentions to gather as much information as they can on the general population within the United States. I felt that this documentary shined a light on a part of our government that we put out of our minds because we simply think that “we’ll never get caught for suspicious activity but I could never be associated to that.” But something as simple as a name that is too similar to a known terrorist will raise a red flag around you and make you a suspect.
A lot of the information I heard through this documentary was already some things that I was aware of but the steps that led to some of the information is unsettling. When then-President, George W. Bush, claimed that it was a “constitutional responsibility” and a necessary step to protect the citizens by gathering information on the general population, that felt wrong to me. Those who defended this decision felt that if you were not involved in suspicious activity, you have nothing to worry about; but as I mentioned earlier, a similar name can create an association that was never intended and would automatically link you a terrorist.
As we have constantly heard regarding information that is put on the Internet, it is never completely gone. Wouldn’t that work the same way for the government? Even if they claim that they deleted our information off their system after they have cleared us of any association, is it really gone? What I found the most unsettling is that in some government official’s eyes, “everyone is a suspect” because it’s safer that way. I want to believe that the majority of the population in the United States is innocent of terrorist activity and it worries me that maybe someday someone I know, or even my own name, may be wrongfully linked to terrorist activity. It doesn’t seem like a mistake of wrongful identity occurs often but we, as citizens, are meant to feel safe here and if our own government is suspicious of us, can we feel safe having them watch over us?
It is always interesting to see how governments trying to strike the balance between security and liberty (especially in the light of new tools available to mine the data).
I think it’s important to remember what one of the men on the video stated. He basically said that as you desire more safety/security from the government, you must sacrifice more of your rights. To hear it in this context might be somewhat unsettling but, if you think about it, it’s kind of true. While the framers of the Constitution would be appalled by this philosophy, I do not think they ever imagined the threats and dangers that presently face this nation, on a daily basis.