Oh, Big Brother

It's been some time. In fact, I'd say it's been quite some time. You probably thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth--if you could be so lucky! No, no, dearlings, I just went....on a vacation, we'll say. But, as long as there are people, and as long as there is government, there will always be a Little Black Soap Box somewhere.

I thought I'd come back with a bang. Time.com posted an article (which is the link, kiddies) about the government's use of GPS to track individuals. In summation (because I know you won't read the article just yet), the government has the freedom to sneak into your driveway and attach a GPS unit to your vehicle, then track your movements for as long as it desires.

When we were little, we were told that we had to be good because Santa Claus was watching us. Now, we have to be good because the government can invade our privacy and watch us. But, wait! There's more!

The court's ruling, [Chief Judge Alex Kozinski] said, means that people who protect their homes with electric gates, fences and security booths have a large protected zone of privacy around their homes. People who cannot afford such barriers have to put up with the government sneaking around at night.

So, if you're really rich or you have political ties, your privacy is just fine! If you work for a living, however, it is not.

Haven't we already given up our freedoms in the name of "Anti-Terrorism"? Have we not already subjected ourselves to unreasonable searches and seizures at US Airports under the guise of the "Patriot Act"? Where are we going to draw the line, folks? It has to be somewhere. How many lives are we going to sacrifice to protect our rights from dictators of other governments only to strip them slowly by our own hands?

"We will not go quietly into the night.

We will not give up without a fight!

Rage--RAGE--against the dying light!"

Props for literate people who know that reference. Hint: It's NOT from Independence Day.

Off topic, a bit there, but listen, folks. RA's back and is here to tell you that we need to be defending our--the middle and lower classes--rights to privacy. The law is clearly written that states our expectations of privacy extend to the property, as well. The government is not above the law. We need to hold them to the same--or higher--standard than we hold ourselves.

...in the meantime, be careful out there. Big Brother is watching. And his presents are handcuffs.

Bravo, BoP

Death of former military personnel in dangerous situations always makes me sad. Especially if they've been through a war or two. Doubly so if the situation was preventable. Like this one.

Twenty-two year old Jose Rivera worked at the Atwater Federal Prison in California. He was a guard there. Federal guard. Federal guard. That is repeated for importance. He was a FEDERAL guard. If you don't understand why I'm emphasizing this, then you need to look up the prison system in America. Federal prisons are where really bad people go. Like Al Capone and Bridman of Alcatraz bad. In fact, Alcatraz was a Federal penitentiary. So, that should give you some idea of the people that are housed within Atwater.

In June of this year, two inmates stabbed and killed Mr. Rivera. Normally, this type of thing wouldn't get my dander up. Yes, I'm sad and upset that my taxpayer money goes to teach inmates how to make weapons MacGuyver would be proud of, but it's part of the job risks of working at a max-security Federal prison. I know. I had considered it a career option.

However, what they don't tell you is that you will have to do your job sans weapons. Of any kind. Or protection.

That's right, kiddies. If you want to work at the Federal Penitentiary, you don't get to carry pepper spray, collapsible batons, or even wear kevlar. You're at a FEDERAL PRISON. I'm sure the government thinks that once these murderers, rapists, gang members, etc, are put behind bars, they lose all urges to continue to commit crimes.

WRONG.

It's a prison! These are not good people! If they're killing each other, why wouldn't they try to kill the one or two people that stand in their way of freedom?!

So, yes, this story pisses me off even more than normal. Here's a boy that came back from Iraq where he had people shooting at him. But, he had a gun. He could shoot back. He had armor. He had opportunity to defend himself.

The BoP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) insists that its guards don't need non-lethal weapons. STATE prison guards carry pepper spray. FEDERAL prison guards must be Chuck Norris. Or Jackie Chan. Or Mr. Rogers, but that's another story. What is the Federal government thinking?! Miraculously, these prisoners are going to be civil? Nooooooooo....

I say that Federal Guards should be carrying guns. Yes, the inmates can get to those and use them to shoot the guards. But, ya know what? I'd rather have a guard shoot a prisoner than have a prisoner kill a guard. Contrary to popular belief, when a person chooses to commit a crime that lands them in a Federal prison, they lose their rights. There is no "civil liberty" for someone who's chosen to break the law. That's why it's called "punishment." I'm extremely tired of hearing about "criminal's rights." My right eye! THEY COMMITTED A CRIME! They WILLINGLY violated someone else's rights. Someone who -didn't- chose to violate the laws of America.

Heath Ledger's Joker had it right when he selected his men. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I'm hiring. The bad news is, there's only one position. Make it quick." Maybe, since there's such an over-crowding issue, that would be a good way to handle prisoners. "Good news, boys, you're going to Atwater. Bad news, only have one place available...."

Oh, wait. We used to do that. I think it was called THE DEATH PENALTY.