US Doles out Millions for Street Cameras
A recent article I found on STR is quite disturbing. As any sensible person should know, the fear mongering that took place after 9/11 stripped this country of many liberties. Namely the handing over of governmental power to the Executive Branch, but that is another issue. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has doled out43 Billion dollars to US cities to increase their ability to "combat terrorism". In most cases this money has been used to militarize the police forces with the purchase of tactical weapons, equipment, armored vehicles and military helicopters. Needless to say these have not been used to fight terrorism since it doesn't exist as portrayed nor is that what the DHS is concerned with (see previous Homeland Security, How Safe do You Feel June Posting). With this increase in militarism we are seeing a more aggresive and violent police force via SWAT teams being used for almost everything (misdemeanor drug raids), far from the legitimate reasons to use them (hostages and the like).
But anyways, much of this money is also being used for a more intrusive purpose. Many cities are taking advantage of federal funding to install closed circuit surveillance cameras in public settings to keep an eye on the citizenry. Obviously DHS will not tell how much of the money is being used to spy directly on you in public, but a Global search of local newspapers indicates that the amount runs into the tens and probably hundreds of millions of dollars in many cities. This is the case in large cities:
"In the last month, cities that have moved forward on plans for surveillance networks financed by the Homeland Security Department include St. Paul, which got a $1.2 million grant for 60 cameras for downtown; Madison, Wis., which is buying a 32-camera network with a $388,000 grant; and Pittsburgh, which is adding 83 cameras to its downtown with a $2.58 million grant."
As well as in very small cities:
"Recent examples include Liberty, Kan. (population 95), which accepted a federal grant to install a $5,000 G2 Sentinel camera in its park, and Scottsbluff, Neb. (population 14,000), where police used a $180,000 Homeland Security Department grant to purchase four closed-circuit digital cameras and two monitors, a system originally designed for Times Square in New York City."
Now I cannot see any reason why a town of 95 needs to spend any money on surveillance equipment or even a town of 14,000 other than they want to spend money they can get which is another problem with government on all levels. Even larger cities have very little reason for cameras of this like except to spy on and observe the actions of the citizens. Very rarely do these cameras deter crime, and very rarely are they able to identify criminals, they are not the same as the camera in the convenience store.
My main problem with cameras is the fact that I am doing nothing wrong therefore I do not need to be watched. People who say that they are not doing anything so they dont care have it all wrong, that is why it is even worse. A prisoner is under cameras eye, I a free citizen exercising my personal rights have no need to be watched by the government (i.e. Big Brother). Once we begin to make strides towards a society like this we will end up like England, with millions of cameras and listening devices planted all over the country and everyone being filmed numerous times a day. The more we are willing to give up our freedoms under the guise of security the worse off this country will be. Even the founding fathers understood this and I will defer to the words of Benjamin Franklin on this one "He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security" We as a people need to stand up for ourselves and at the very least take the power away from the Boy King (George W Bush) and give it back to the representative legislator to end this criminal series of actions against the people of this country.
But anyways, much of this money is also being used for a more intrusive purpose. Many cities are taking advantage of federal funding to install closed circuit surveillance cameras in public settings to keep an eye on the citizenry. Obviously DHS will not tell how much of the money is being used to spy directly on you in public, but a Global search of local newspapers indicates that the amount runs into the tens and probably hundreds of millions of dollars in many cities. This is the case in large cities:
"In the last month, cities that have moved forward on plans for surveillance networks financed by the Homeland Security Department include St. Paul, which got a $1.2 million grant for 60 cameras for downtown; Madison, Wis., which is buying a 32-camera network with a $388,000 grant; and Pittsburgh, which is adding 83 cameras to its downtown with a $2.58 million grant."
As well as in very small cities:
"Recent examples include Liberty, Kan. (population 95), which accepted a federal grant to install a $5,000 G2 Sentinel camera in its park, and Scottsbluff, Neb. (population 14,000), where police used a $180,000 Homeland Security Department grant to purchase four closed-circuit digital cameras and two monitors, a system originally designed for Times Square in New York City."
Now I cannot see any reason why a town of 95 needs to spend any money on surveillance equipment or even a town of 14,000 other than they want to spend money they can get which is another problem with government on all levels. Even larger cities have very little reason for cameras of this like except to spy on and observe the actions of the citizens. Very rarely do these cameras deter crime, and very rarely are they able to identify criminals, they are not the same as the camera in the convenience store.
My main problem with cameras is the fact that I am doing nothing wrong therefore I do not need to be watched. People who say that they are not doing anything so they dont care have it all wrong, that is why it is even worse. A prisoner is under cameras eye, I a free citizen exercising my personal rights have no need to be watched by the government (i.e. Big Brother). Once we begin to make strides towards a society like this we will end up like England, with millions of cameras and listening devices planted all over the country and everyone being filmed numerous times a day. The more we are willing to give up our freedoms under the guise of security the worse off this country will be. Even the founding fathers understood this and I will defer to the words of Benjamin Franklin on this one "He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security" We as a people need to stand up for ourselves and at the very least take the power away from the Boy King (George W Bush) and give it back to the representative legislator to end this criminal series of actions against the people of this country.
posted by the meathaus at 11:09 PM
2 Comments:
Even without the added money earmarked for surveillance cameras, there are plenty of cameras to go around already. It's petty rare when we read about a child kidnapping, for instance, when there is not already some private surveillance camera that has captured at least part of the crime.
A chicken in every pot and a camera on every corner.
Yes, but these cameras tend to be private businesses cameras which are watching their property to prevent threft or vandalism. It is a good coincidence that kidnappers and the like happen to be dumb and get caught on the cameras, but the difference between those cameras and ones funded by the state are immense.
Post a Comment
<< Home