Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: kkindt
You are all over the map on the systems and analogies you present.

The traffic camera is not a matching system. There are two types of traffic camera systems, triggered systems and monitored ones. Triggered systems can be based on speed of objects and/or status of traffic light with directional sensors.

A triggered system that "snapshots" a vehicle which has violated the conditions codified in the software is different than one that snapshots every vehicle and compares it to a database of "suspect" vehicles (stolen, outstanding traffic violations, unregistered, uninsured, etc.). As far as I know the latter system does not exist. I have less problems with the former where there is a demonstrated cause (violation) proir to a record being made.

I don't need or want unified law enforcement opinion, but I do want their concerns aired and addressed.

I demand that there be reasonable and probable cause for law enforcement to take an interest in me and my loved ones. I have seen the repressive effect of "secret" police and covert surveillance on people. It has always impressed me how people recently liberated from authoritarian regimes more jealously guard their anonimity and privacy than those living in socialized democracies. One reason I believe this is true is that the recently liberated realize from experience how quickly, even erroneously, one life can be removed and its impact on the rest of that society.

Oh, and I do think there are more important things than an individual's life or health. You'll find that many people who serve the larger community feel the same way. These are especially the people willing to sacrifice their own lives or health to defend the ideas written on a piece of parchment. So no, I don't personally care how many people die or suffer broken necks if the answer is sacrificing our liberty.
181 posted on 08/12/2003 11:09:20 AM PDT by optimistically_conservative (Can't prove a negative? You're not stupid. Prove it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 180 | View Replies ]


To: optimistically_conservative
You wrote:
reasonable and probable cause for law enforcement to take an interest in me and my loved ones
My response:
Reasonable cause - you and I are sinners that need watching and it helps you and I to behave ourselves to have the government that has power to punish us watching us.
Probable cause to take an interest in us? - I thought it was probable cause to arrest us - not probable cause to take an interest in us. According to the logic of this statement there ought to be no police officers parked along the road with a radar gun pointing at us. Are you against radar guns also?

Your lack of concern for the thousands of innocent children killed each year by speeders and red light runners is remarkable. You are not willing to allow our government to use cameras to curtain red light running and speeders and thus save the lives of innocent children? And what liberty are you sacrificing by allowing them to take your photo when you are approaching a red light or entering a football stadium where they are trying to catch terrorists who will blow up you and your children??

We live in a world where some liberty needs to be curtailed to protect the innocent - I would agree with you that we need to watch the government's use of this technology and put an end to abuses of its use but you go way to the wrong side of the scale when you say video cameras capturing us in public are to be forbidden.
183 posted on 08/13/2003 8:17:27 AM PDT by kkindt (knightforhire.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 181 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson