Re: I don't know who's leaking this stuff...

"Chris Wright" <[email protected]> wrote in message 
news:[email protected]...
> David Dean wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>>  Chris Wright <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> I oppose the action of Guantanamo Bay, because that was just like 
>>> throwing a net over a group of people and saying "Gotcha".
>>> Not all of them are guilty, and in my mind, if I were one of them being 
>>> held, I'd be screaming blue murder.
>>
>>    But that is exactly what they're doing with the phone records, casting 
>> a big net.
>>
>>> And if they couldn't be trusted or seen to be competent in handling the 
>>> process, then yes, stop it until such time it can be controlled.
>>
>>    You see, we can't trust our government to be competent in handling the 
>> process, there has been abuse in the past. That is why we are against it. 
>> Perhaps you should google: "COINTELPRO"
>>
>
> To both Charles and yourself...
>
> I don't have any objection to your reasons for not letting them have 
> access and I share your concerns with the possible misuse of the list.
>
> Charles is saying that its becoming too big brother which again relates to 
> the potential misuse of it.
>
> You are saying that it 'may' and in all probability 'is' against the 
> constitution (unless some cleave government wig is capable of proving its 
> not by the use of massive amounts of mumbo jumbo).
>
> Neither of those two points can I dispute.
> And nor should I wipe them from my concerns and dismiss them (and nor do 
> I).
>
> All I am saying is that here and now, there is a threat.  A major threat. 
> Since I have nothing to hide, I don't care who is monitoring my calls if 
> there is a chance that they will catch some criminal in the act.  I 
> consider the chance of them misusing the information less than the chance 
> of them catching criminals in the act.
>
> But, if there was every such a time that the system was abused and misuse 
> became apparent. I'd be standing next to the both of you calling for the 
> whole damn thing to be shut down or whatever.
>
> Its sad that we even have to consider such actions in this age.
> I have 3 kids of 6,10 and 11 who I want to be able to grow up and I would 
> consider anything that helps protect them even at the loss of some of my 
> privacy/rights.


This is probably one of the better letters to the editor about the "nothing 
to hide" thing.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/270285_ltrs16.html

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Several people have said, "If you have nothing to hide, why should you care 
whether the government keeps records of your private calls?"

You should care because the definition of "nothing to hide" could change at 
any time. What if you decide to run for office and a member of the opposing 
party finds calls from your phone to a psychiatrist or to 976 numbers?

Whistle-blowers could be silenced not by threats of firing but by blackmail: 
"Go ahead, speak up! We've noticed that you called a couple of gay bars last 
month; are you out to your family and friends yet?"

It's not that far-fetched.

Your cell records reveal not only whom you were calling, but where you were 
when you made the call. If you've ever called in sick to work from the 
ballpark or told your boyfriend you were working late when you were at a bar 
instead, the government knows about it. If you make the feds mad enough, 
they can clue in your boss and your boyfriend. The price tag on free speech 
just increased exponentially.

The whole point of requiring warrants is that the government should not be 
able to access your personal data until it has a reasonable suspicion that 
you do have something to hide. That's why warrants are required to get phone 
records, even in homicide investigations. It's not about letting people get 
away with things; it's about leaving innocent people alone.

Information is power, and knowing whom you call and how often you make those 
calls can provide the government vast amounts of information about your 
personal life, your political leanings, your spiritual beliefs and nearly 
every aspect of your life.

Do you really trust the government that much?

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Personally, I have nothing to hide and it's nobodys business what that 
nothing is.
-- 
JustPlainBill