As long as you're under my roof....

[Savannahmann]

Parents use that excuse when they search the room, bags, or computer of their child. As long as you're under my roof, you'll do what I say. Those words are weak excuses, but even if we say they have some validity. Children are not yet mature enough to understand the consequences of actions, and will make bad decisions for many reasons. That excuse ends when the children become adults, and leave the nest. How many of us would tolerate our parents coming into our own homes, and searching through things. The "You're my child" excuse kind of dies when you go off on your own doesn't it?

A guest in your home who uses your bathroom, and then inspects your medicine cabinet is a snoop. Can a government who intercepts the fax, or the email message tell the pharmacy to give you the medication be anything less than a snoop?

A friend riding in your car who opens your glove box and begins going through your things to see what you have in there would not be invited into your car again. Yet a Government who looks at things far more personal that that claims they are doing it for your own good, and it's perfectly legal, because someone else told them it was OK.

Besides the defenders of the faith tell us. It's really just an illusion of privacy at this point. Really? Then why can't I do it too? If I have a scanner, and a computer to decode cell phones, I am eavesdropping in every single state of the union. It is a Felony for me to do it. If I hack my neighbors WiFi and just monitor what he does, that is a crime. I am committing yet another Felony. Google was fined for doing that with their street view cars.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/22/google-street-view-fine-germany/
And not just in Germany. http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/12/google-street-view-settlement/

Friends, we will have Civil Rights as long as we shout, scream, and argue that we should. As long as we are willing to fight for our rights, we will have them. As soon as we decide that the Government, like our Parents, knows best and we should just go along, we will lose all those rights. Then eventually, someone will argue that we should have rights in practice, not just on paper. Then we'll see another Revolution, and what will the future say about us? If we are lucky, the Future will say we were just victims. That would be easier to stomach than willing accomplice of the immoral act.

I do not live in my Father's house. This is my roof, and my home. This is my country, and I will not go quietly and say all is well when I see those Civil Rights that so many fought so long and hard to get are eroded away with mumblings from authoritarian courts and abusive policies. I urge you, do not join the group that is going gentle into that good night. Either we stand for principle, or we all suffer for party.

[In_The_Wind]

1. Excellent post!

DU Rec!

[bluedeathray]

2. I'm with you brother

And if the balloon goes up, I'll be there.

PS I live in Savannah. Actually Garden City.

[SemperEadem]

3. what about

an insecure girlfriend/boyfriend who goes through your phone looking for texts and call records because they believe you are cheating on them? Some people would actually say that that kind of invasion of privacy is justified.

[justiceischeap]

6. Granted there are some people who are naturally paranoid

but then again, there are some people who give their partners reason to be suspicious. This isn't a black and white issue.

[Le Taz Hot]

11. And I say if you're reduced to snooping through

his/her cell phone calls, e-mails, etc., it's already over and it's time to move on.

[Sissyk]

17. +1

Yes, this!

[SemperEadem]

24. "but..." ...wait for it...

"...but I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove him and we've talked about moving in together and marriage and kids in the 2 months I've known him...."

I swear, I've read exactly that on some of the relationship message boards I'm on...

[Savannahmann]

15. I wouldn't know.

I was taught as a child that trust is a necessary part of a relationship. Without the trust, the emotion you feel is not love, but possession. Many of the lessons I was taught as a child I resisted, or resented, only to find their truth, and beauty much later in life when I gained enough maturity to fully understand them. Like many teenagers, I was a rebel without a clue.

Your mate is your partner, or your possession. I would point out that those who feel that the mate is a possession often end up in the news for some sort of crime that gets the members outraged. Murder, assault, etc.

If you find yourself in such a relationship, I would ask why your partner does not trust you, or you don't trust them. Then I would ask what you plan to do with it. Either you are two pulling in the same direction, for the same purpose, or you are two pulling apart. If the latter, it may be as another person said, that the relationship is for all intents and purposes over already.

[SemperEadem]

25. I completely agree

my post was an example from way too many posts on way too many relationship message boards--it seems to the de rigueur with a lot of young women these days...

some young people actually believe that they have a right to grab their boy/girlfriend's cell phone while they're not looking and go through it and they get validated by others who say "well, if they don't have anything to hide, then they shouldn't have a problem with you snooping through it.." Honestly.

I recently put "GotYa!" on my cell phone because while I don't have anything to hide, it's nobody's business but my own what's in my cell phone.

[ReRe]

4. K&R!!!

Ha! $190,000 fine in Germany? Should have been $19 Million or $190 Million. Me thinks the Google got a bit greedy. And what was it going to do with all that info? One guess only. Corporations are going absolutely bonkers. All that money just makes them crazier than bedbugs. "Oh LORD, won't ya' buy me, a Mercedes Benz. My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends...."

Savannahmann, that was a very informative and downright historical DU OP!

DEMOCRACY IS A VERB!

[Savannahmann]

19. $7 Million in the US

I'm surprised that the NSA didn't just take over the street view cars and increase the fleet so there was one everywhere at all times.

[ReRe]

21. Yeah, I did see that...

...the US had fined them $7 Million. Hadn't heard that anywhere before, though. It's pretty clear that Google is/was a PRIVATE CONTRACTOR gathering data with those souped-up cars.

[99Forever]

5. K&R

[tomg]

7. K & R

[1-Old-Man]

8. What an outstanding post. I am very pleased to K&R this.

Very well done.

[reformist2]

9. That's when they remind you that we're at war!!!!1!!!1!!

[ReRe]

10. FYI

Chief NSA Snoop Keith Alexander is supposed to be on Capital Hill again this AM for a hearing. Don't know if it will be on C-Span or not. Since this is top in people's minds, maybe they will have it on CNN?

[Borchkins]

12. Very well said.

[Catherina]

13. Standing ovation!

Solidarity!


“I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when I heard Coretta cry, "Martin, Martin, come quickly!" I put down my cup and ran toward the living room. As I approached the front window Coretta pointed joyfully to a slowly moving bus: "Darling, it's empty!”

― Martin Luther King Jr., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Savannahmann]

16. One of my favorite quotes was from Whoopie Goldberg

She said that while watching TV, Star Trek came on, and she shouted. "Momma come quick, there's a black lady on TV, and she ain't a maid!"

It's strange the symbols that inspire us, or show us we are winning. It's easy to find the symbols of futility, or of defeat. But the ones that show you that you are on the right side, and winning, and inspire you to double down, and fight even harder for what you believe in? That is truly priceless.

[Catherina]

20. Priceless and Doubling down. The following two messages speak for themselves

Millions are inspired to fight even harder right now and we know where we both stand, along with so many others here.
Thanks for sharing that Whoopie Goldberg quote.

[nashville_brook]

14. big k and r!

[liberal_at_heart]

18. K&R

[felix_numinous]

22. Serendipitously

A very nosey neighbor moved next door to me, and I've had to explain to her, as if to a six year old, that its polite to knock before just walking into someone's living room or space.

Having to explain privacy from scratch has been interesting. What ever our concept of privacy is, it is our personal space. This nosey person has disturbed the peace in our neighborhood, by assuming intimacy, interrupting conversations, watching and commenting on our behavior (almost to the level of stalking) and becomes even more aggressive when people begin to be so annoyed we avoid her.

It occurs to me that personal space (what ever your definition) is necessary for mental health. This is why people living on the street end up creating a bubble around themselves, in order to contain their own identity.

At first when I felt challenged by this neighbor I thought it was 'just me' but have learned that I am far from being alone. I think it will take a group effort to teach this person these basic social skills.

What is personal space? Be it physical or conceptual, losing privacy creates anxiety and stress--and we don't have to live this way.

Asserting our privacy is a way we are asserting our humanity against the use of a Frankenstein, a powerful creation that must have privacy and respect for human life hard wired into it-- or we will regret it. I hope it's not too late.

[Savannahmann]

23. I am sorry for your trials

I wish I had some advice, but alas, I've never run into this. Then again, I live in rural, very rural Georgia. Folks around here mind their own business, and before approaching a neighbors house wave and call out first. If there is no one out, we approach a door, and then ring the bell, or knock, and wait for someone to answer.