'Big Sis' Reasserts Unlimited Power to Seize and Inspect Laptops
President Obama did not mention it in his State of the Union address last night, and there hasnt been much attention devoted to it in the Congress of late; but, the fundamental right to privacy Americans have a right to expect from their own government, has suffered yet another body blow.
On the surface, things seem to be in order. For example, at the beginning of February, the Federal Trade Commission released a staff report outlining consumer privacy recommendations for developers of mobile phone apps. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz called the recommendations best practices intended to safeguard consumer privacy, that would build trust in the mobile marketplace.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Obama Administration hasnt gotten the message.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), headed by Secretary Janet (Big Sis) Napolitano, just reaffirmed its policy that Americans returning home from travels abroad are subject to arbitrary searches and seizures of their computers |
Uncle Sam -- Privacy Hypocrite
If one were to read the Federal Trade Commissions recent staff report discussing ways to protect consumer privacy in mobile apps, one might conclude the federal government genuinely was concerned about consumer privacy.
Among other recommendations, the report supports safeguards such as making data collection more transparent for consumers, requiring affirmative express consent in real-time before data is collected, and adding Do Not Track (DNT) mechanisms for mobile users. The agency goes on to give itself a hearty pat on the back for endorsing such processes. In the words of Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, [t[hese best practices will help to safeguard consumer privacy and build trust in the mobile marketplace.
Caveat emptor.
Taking privacy cues from the federal government is to say the least --ironic, considering todays Orwellian level of surveillance. At virtually any given time outside of ones own home, an American citizen can reasonably assume his movements an |
Lest We Forget Lessons From The 1993 Waco Tragedy
Twenty years ago, on February 28th 1993, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) launched an assault on the Branch Davidian religious compound just outside Waco, Texas. The resulting siege ended more than seven weeks later, on April 19, but not before claiming the lives of 80 men, women and children -- many burned to death in the final inferno that destroyed the compound.
Even today, videos of the burning buildings remain vivid reminders of an assault gone horribly wrong, from start to finish; and, lessons from what has become known as the Waco Tragedy should be borne in mind by all Americans lest a similar tragedy occur in the future.
Although I was not yet a formal candidate for the United States House of Representatives in February 1993, two years later in early 1995, I was a member of the House Judiciary subcommittee that led a series of lengthy hearings into the Waco tragedy. In the immediate aftermath of the 1993 Waco siege, then-President Bill Clinton, |
Gun Industry Begins to Fight Back
Firearms manufacturers usually find themselves playing defense. Following virtually every highly publicized incident involving a multiple shooting, manufactures often are among the first round of scapegoats flogged by the mainstream media and gun-control politicians. Indeed, were it not for the 2005 law that protects gun manufactures from frivolous lawsuits by victims of gun crimes, many would be out of business.
Thankfully, at least some firearms manufacturers now are going on the offensive; returning fire in New Yorks escalating war against Second Amendment rights in the Empire State.
In a post on its Facebook page, for example, Olympic Arms, Inc., a company headquartered in Washington state but which markets its products, including the AR-15 rifle, nationwide, outlined a new sales policy for New York. The company declared: the State of New York, any Law Enforcement Departments, Law Enforcement Officers, First Responders within the State of New York, or any New York State gov |
Bob Barr have Sex with her Secretary
