USAToday recently published a great article on the Fed's terror watch list. It's swelled to over 755,000 names. I've pointed out before that I'm on the list - and because of that I have to present ID every time I want to get a boarding pass. Meaning that I can't print-boarding passes online.
I have no criminal background. I haven't even had a speeding ticket in 4+ years. But the Federal Gov't thinks I'm a terrorist. Or, at least a possible terrorist. Maybe they just have me confused with a real 'baddie'. My first name is Michael (The #1 male name in America for years standing), and my last name is Campbell (which, apparently is in the top 50 most common last names in America). The phone book for the area where I live has about 40,000 people in it. I'm one of a handful of Michael Campbells listed in the phone book. And if they could be so wrong with someone like me, what does that mean about the true 'baddie' lurking out there somewhere trying to avoid this system/flagging altogether?
But the Fed would have us believe that by checking my driver's license every time I fly, we're all safer.
With 755,000+ names, this is the list that cried wolf. And it's a total violation of American principles. That, and I'm sure it's the result of an astronomically high number of wasted tax dollars. And I'm sure that the management of this watch-list data-mining project has been pulled straight out of the Dilbert playbook.
The article I linked above points this out very well when they point out that a 6 year old is also on this list. So, these idiots mining 'terrorist' data don't even know how to cross-check possible 'baddies' against their birth date?
I want a refund for all the time wasted on this 'safety' project. And I want my rights back without having to jump through a bunch of idiotic, bureaucratic hoops imposed by a bunch of federal employees in Washington D.C. who don't know a thing about me - other than that I'm on their terror watch list.
What's sad to me is the way it became un-American to question these policies. I believe the tide of opinion is starting to turn the other way now, but that is only because people have had time for the memories of 9/11 to fade. While we were in a collective state of fear/panic, we were all too willing to give up the rights we've fought many bloody wars to protect.
I personally think the correct response to the threat of terrorism is anger, not fear. Fear is the goal of terrorism, so the terrorists basically won the last round. With that success, I'm sure they'll eventually be back, and everyone will cower once again.
Having said all that, I do see the need for us to protect our national transportation and communication infrastructures. But how far do you go with that? Asking people to "produce papers" at every "check point" seems like the behavior of a totalitarian government, not a democratic one.
I know it's just a dream, but I'd like to see the aggressive hunting down of actual terrorists, not the ineffective harrassment of American citizens. I'd also like to see methods of protecting our country that take full advantage of the incredible technology we have available with minimal impact on the innocent. Like I said. It's just a dream.
Posted by: James Byrd | November 08, 2007 at 06:39 AM