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Full Transparency
lewrockwell.com / By Luis P. Almeida / October 17, 2015
Two weeks ago Anthony Silva, the mayor of Stockton, California was forced to turn over all of his electronics and their associated passwords when re-entering the country from an official visit to China. The Department of Homeland Security agents were unable to produce a warrant or any other court documents to justify their seizure, yet they prohibited him from entering the country and being on his way until he complied with their demands. After giving in to the authorities Mr. Silva had the following to say, “I think the American people should be extremely concerned about their personal rights and privacy. As I was being searched at the airport, there was a Latino couple to my left, and an Asian couple to my right also being aggressively searched. I briefly had to remind myself that this was not North Korea or Nazi Germany. This is the land of the Free.”
It is amazing that the mayor of a good-sized American city still thinks this is “the land of the free”. The fact that it isn’t should not be a revelation to anyone. What should be discussed in relation to this incident is the fact that if the authorities want to access our information they can, whether we like it or not. This information that they have access to is quitecomprehensive. Many of us might say something via a text message, an email or a private message that we would not post openly on Facebook. Yet, it is clear that those private messages are just as vulnerable if the authorities decide they want see them. It should be clear to all of us that our “persons, houses, papers, and effects” are no longer safe from “unreasonable searches and seizures”. Those days are long gone, sadly.
We must then face the fact that we are under constant surveillance and the only thing saving us from having our most private, intimate moments disclosed is their lack of interest in us. We are safe because we are insignificant. Those deemed a threat have faced prosecution and have had their lives completely upended. Our insignificance gives us momentary respite, but we need to be aware that we have already lost the battle. They have all the files and all the data they need to put anyone of us in compromising situations and if they don’t, they’ll make it up.
The post Full Transparency appeared first on Silver For The People.
Source: http://silveristhenew.com/2015/10/17/full-transparency/
