Seeing the Round Corners

HEADS UP, the new day for Seeing the Round Corners “GOING LIVE” is Tuesday each week.

June 2, 2020

Just as the country began to “reopen” to get its economy back on track, yet another targeted demonstration rears its ugly head.

The violence, street terrorism and horrendous damage to innocent property owners as a result of the Floyd murder is so reprehensible, even the ordinary American is incensed at the heinous senseless murder.

Due to the evolving background information, this writer is withholding further comment until that is disclosed. Investigation is ongoing about the possible connection between the policeman and George Floyd as bouncers at a night club. In the meantime, give a read to the column from this writer’s archives about Surrendering Rights for Terrorism.

SURRENDERING RIGHTS FOR TERRORISM   September 9, 2013          

Since its founding, America has thrived on advancing technology, and some would say, it’s what “drives” this country (no pun intended). There has always been that work ethic “hard work brings its own reward,” and would mean a brighter/better future. Hidden somewhere in all the sage advice is that sacrifice today or in the present would be worth the effort in the future.

That idea brings to mind some questions from colonial times: 

  • Would the drafters of the U. S. Constitution have “drafted” a different document had they been better at foresight into the future?
  • Would the second amendment have been “drafted” differently had our forefathers envisioned the assault rifles and ammunition magazine capacity existing in present-day America? (We’ll ignore for now that the second amendment does not say what gun advocates so religiously espouse – what’s espoused is the gun advocates’ interpretation of what the amendment says.)

 

No one would likely argue with the progress that society in general has made since America was founded. Back then, leeches and burning witches at the stake were accepted practice.

When the terrorist attacks of September 11th slammed this country to its very knees, America entered into an atmosphere never before imaginable. The blame game quickly sped out of control, setting in motion the end of privacy Americans have always deemed a part of their everyday lives and guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

American citizens learned all too quickly how little they knew of the massive U. S. intelligence web and the mega billions of dollars that go to support it annually, no questions asked, virtually no accountability. Under the mantra of protecting the United States from terrorism, Congress moved quickly to pass laws that can only be mildly described as far reaching.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 was one of several laws passed by Congress, and ultimately was responsible for creation of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Strategic goals of the DHS include awareness, prevention, protection, response, recovery, service and organizational excellence. Such lofty goals translate to providing the impetus for whatever it chooses to do with the potential for blatant abuse.

The Patriot Act (2001, reauthorized in 2006) also not without opportunity for abuse, did to its credit, tear down the so-called walls between America’s many intelligence agencies and criminal investigators. Perhaps the most objectionable provision of the Patriot Act was the one allowing “federal agents to subpoena entire databases of library, medical and other records solely on the claim they are relevant to national security or a terrorism investigation.”

With the technology of GPS (global positioning system) that can track a vehicle’s every movement twenty-four/seven and unmanned drones lurking overhead twenty-four/seven, citizens of this country have foregone civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States twenty-four/seven.

The computerization of cars and the push by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for automakers to install “black boxes” in all new cars and light trucks starting in September of 2014 raises concerns regarding data collection such as mileage data and other driver behavior. Unbeknownst to many vehicle owners is that event-data-recorders (EDRs) are already on 96 percent of 2013 vehicles. Such recorders can produce data such as vehicle speed, whether the brake was used and whether the driver’s seat belt was buckled during the period shortly before and after a crash and deployment of the air bag.

There are those in the world who lack the ability to “think past the end of their noses.” Columnist David Brooks is known for his vision about the future, and is quoted as saying, “Instead of sacrificing the present for the sake of the future, Americans now sacrifice the future for the sake of the present.”

Giving careful thought to Brooks’ statement can only lead to this conclusion:  Truer words were never spoken when looking back on America’s manner of protecting this country from terrorism.

The reader's comments or questions are always welcome. E-mail me at doris@dorisbeaver.com.