I read this very interesting article about how the NSA may have set up domestic call monitoring 7 months before the Sept. 11th attacks. This is huge b/c Bush & his admin had always said that monitoring the calls were nec after 9/11. Now, I have to say “may have”, b/c apparently they approached AT&T to build a facility just for their use. They didn’t end up doing that b/c they (NSA) ended up building their own facility. So, we don’t know when this invasion started; but it was definitely thought of well before the war on terrorism started. Bush uses the war as the reason for the need to monitor.

Also, weren’t there all those memos & notes that were sent that were just ignored? And one time, I had a crazy, weird, very questionable experience w/ someone who just stopped me in the street to ask me about my thoughts on the tragedy. I mean, it was a really crazy conversation; & he insinuated a bunch of stuff. So, I called the FBI & told them what happened. I gave him my contact info & said that the guy gave me his email so that I could write him, & he’d tell me more later. I gave them his email too. But I’m tellin you, they weren’t really takin anything I had to say seriously. Maybe I’ll post about that weird experience sometime.

Anyway, so the gov’t wanted to spy before the terrorist attacks to prevent them. They claim this is all for public safety. Now, of course, I’m all for public safety. But here’s what I thought of when I saw this. You know how all sometimes ppl are stalked. You know, stalked? And if they want to take any sort of action to prevent physical danger from that stalker, then they really can’t until they’ve actually been assaulted once. So, you’ve gotta get yourself beat up pretty bad (& hope you don’t die during this ordeal) before you can get any legal action to keep this harmful person away from you. Well, isn’t this public safety too? Or, is the safety of any one individual not as important as the collective group? And if so, how do you decide which group, & who decides.

The man has no probs keeping smokers away from you.* Well, why not the stalkers & crazies?

*I’m not complaining, I’m just trying to prioritize things.
**note: I’m on holiday right now. I’ve only worked 2 days a week for the last 3 weeks. And I’ve been on vaca since Thurs, & don’t go back til this Thurs. So, since I have so much more time to actually think, which is why my recent posts have a bit more depth.