Big Brother Takes New York!

Be very careful how you behave in The Big Apple. Plans are in the works to install over 400 surveillance cameras around the city. Ever see Enemy of the State, The Minority Report, or 1984? Isn't this a bit scary? NYPD spokespersons say the cameras are there to help fight crime and combat terrorism. With the increasing use of plastic currency, police would easily be able to track your every movement within the city, find out who you are, with whom you interact, where you ate dinner, how much gas you bought, etc. Your entire life would be recorded for posterity and watched by complete strangers whose job it is to judge whether your actions are legitimate or not. While some may argue that if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry, I for one do not like the idea of somebody watching and judging my every step. I'm willing to accept video tape of myself in a convenience store, because it does help protect people in a very high-risk job. However, a privately-owned business has the right to protect it's employees and property, the government does not have the right to monitor you 24/7 without a warrant.
The 9th Amendment makes it pretty clear that citizens do have a right to privacy as long as we retain that right. The Bill of Rights was never meant to include all of our rights and protections, that's why they put in the 9th: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Unfortunately, we've often surrendered that right in the name of "peace and security". Write to your representatives, folks, let them know you want your privacy, and you won't tolerate laws to the contrary.