Remember the old I Spy game from when we were kids? It was an innocuous game meant to improve your observational skills. We all played it and had fun. Nowadays, if you said, “I spy”, everyone would think you work for the government of the United States.
Unfortunately, that is NOT a joke…..not with all the revelations of how our government continuously and ceaselessly spies on us. It’s ironic that our own government feels it can spy on us because most of us do NOT spy on others and we would resent anyone who did. We do NOT spy on our friends or neighbors. We might listen to gossip. We might overhear someone’s conversation, especially if they are shouting into their cell phone in the grocery store. Or, we might see someone’s email, if it is part of a forwarded email. But, most Americans DO NOT purposely spy on anyone. In fact, most Americans try to avoid intruding on someone’s privacy. It’s just the right thing to do. If you believe you yourself have the right to privacy, you certainly expect others to have that same right. But, the right to privacy has eroded to the point where there is NO privacy. And, the government obviously believes they have the right to anyone’s personal information, WITHOUT even a court order. And, worse, no one has to tell you that you are being spied upon.
Medical records used to be known only to you and your doctor. Now, they are just another computer file and anyone who really wants to see what you “have”, can do so. Nurses, aides, insurance companies are all privy to YOUR medical records. And, with Obama-scare and its unsecured system and navigators, some of whom are known criminals, you can expect to see your test results posted online at some point in the future. Even humiliating conditions will be coming to the Big Screen. You know it. I know it. Obama knows it. The difference is that we care about our privacy and Obama doesn’t. He and his Lieberal friends just want a political victory. And, if the price of victory is an end to your privacy, so be it.
While the march to invade privacy began long ago, it has accelerated in the past 2-3 years.
When my generation was growing up, your Social Security number was sacrosanct and could NOT be used by anyone but you…and then, only for a very few purposes. Then, colleges started combining social security numbers into the student ID system. And, soon, every time you turned around, someone somewhere was demanding your Social Security number.
Student grades used to be between the student, teacher and the student’s parents. Today, those grades are posted on the school’s computer system…………….and, pretty much anyone with access to a computer can find those grades.
Financial information used to be highly secure. Our bank used to have an “in house” system that only the officers could access. Then, the government began demanding that routine reports be transmitted via the internet. Even though the banks have attempted to provide a secure connection to the Feds’ system, there is always a chance that someone could hack into information that leaves the bank. Look at Target and the other huge institutions recently who have lost countless reams of their customers’ private information and you’ll understand that NO computer network is ever entirely secure.
These instances of loss of privacy are not only scary but offensive to Americans. There might be occasions when the government does need to secretly obtain information; however, there has been a quantum leap in what our very own government now knows about each and everyone of us. And, almost always, without our permission! They spy on everything. Whether it’s the CIA, the FBI, your local police, or “just” the camera in the stop lights, it seems that someone is always watching you! Your computer camera can watch you. A few days ago, someone reported that even a tv can watch you. Your emails and telephone and cell phone are routinely monitored. And, for those foolish enough to post private information on Facebook or Twitter, you might as well stand naked in the town square because your life is definitely an open book.
President Obama would have us believe that spying on American citizens is not a big deal. If that were true, his birth certificate, college grades, and maybe even someone who recognized him from college, would be public knowledge. It is interesting that only OUR information is considered open to public purview.
Isn’t it time that we Americans take a little closer look at President Obama, his disregard for our rights under the Constitution, and even the politicians who support his continuing actions which erode our Country’s legacy of law and order? Shouldn’t personal privacy, an integral part of the Constitution of the United States and intrinsic to the welfare of our citizens, be of greater importance?
I believe that it’s time for us to start playing I Spy again. Only this time, let’s “spy” on those who would invade our privacy. Let’s make sure that everything they say and anything they do becomes public so we know what they are really up to. If all of our history is available to the government, then, let’s make the government’s information public, too. And, let’s start with the politicians who refuse to safeguard our privacy.
I Spy. Do you?
