On
Protecting Our Civil Liberties:
Privacy
I wanted to share some of my increasing concerns about civil liberties, privacy, and government censorship with others that visit my website. Regardless of your political leanings (radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, or reactionary), ever since September 11, 2001, our government has implemented worrisome initiatives in the name of protecting America.
Since 9-11, we continue to allow our government to terrorize us by worst case scenarios and government-induced hysteria -- we collectively simply shrug our shoulders and allow our liberties to be slowly taken away. I've decided to start working harder at protecting our freedoms by enforcing them in small ways. I urge you to do the same.
If you travel internationally, one way you can do that is by learning more about what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tracking regarding your movements in and out of the country, who you associate with during those trips, and even the books that you carry. Disturbing, no? If you have any doubts about the authenticity of these claims, please see Ellen Nakashima's article, "Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented: U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known," in the September 22, 2007, edition of The Washington Post. From Ellen Nakashima's article I learned that anyone can find out what the DHS has recorded about your travels in and out of the country by requesting a copy of your travel dossier from the DHS.
Why is it important to ask for your travel dossier -- but it is your legal right to know. However, that right only exists if you choose to exercise it. More importantly, you should want to know what the DHS has recorded about you. Is it accurate? Why have they recorded this information? How does the personal information they have collected on you make anyone in the USA safer from terrorists? And what about your privacy and freedom of association, don't you have a right to move freely and associate freely with others that you wish to?
You can more about the process of obtaining your travel dossier from the DHS at The Identity Project. On September 29th, I sent my dossier request to the DHS. Of course, they have not replied to my request, even though the White House's Office of Management and Budget directs the DHS to respond to an inquiry within ten business days. Because the DHS has not responded to my certified-mail inquiry, I have writen to my federally-elected representatives (Congress man Lloyd Doggett, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and Senator John Cornyn) to ask them to assist me with collecting my travel dossier. I will be sure to keep you posted.
I wanted to share some of my increasing concerns about civil liberties, privacy, and government censorship with others that visit my website. Regardless of your political leanings (radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, or reactionary), ever since September 11, 2001, our government has implemented worrisome initiatives in the name of protecting America.
Since 9-11, we continue to allow our government to terrorize us by worst case scenarios and government-induced hysteria -- we collectively simply shrug our shoulders and allow our liberties to be slowly taken away. I've decided to start working harder at protecting our freedoms by enforcing them in small ways. I urge you to do the same.
If you travel internationally, one way you can do that is by learning more about what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tracking regarding your movements in and out of the country, who you associate with during those trips, and even the books that you carry. Disturbing, no? If you have any doubts about the authenticity of these claims, please see Ellen Nakashima's article, "Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented: U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known," in the September 22, 2007, edition of The Washington Post. From Ellen Nakashima's article I learned that anyone can find out what the DHS has recorded about your travels in and out of the country by requesting a copy of your travel dossier from the DHS.
Why is it important to ask for your travel dossier -- but it is your legal right to know. However, that right only exists if you choose to exercise it. More importantly, you should want to know what the DHS has recorded about you. Is it accurate? Why have they recorded this information? How does the personal information they have collected on you make anyone in the USA safer from terrorists? And what about your privacy and freedom of association, don't you have a right to move freely and associate freely with others that you wish to?
You can more about the process of obtaining your travel dossier from the DHS at The Identity Project. On September 29th, I sent my dossier request to the DHS. Of course, they have not replied to my request, even though the White House's Office of Management and Budget directs the DHS to respond to an inquiry within ten business days. Because the DHS has not responded to my certified-mail inquiry, I have writen to my federally-elected representatives (Congress man Lloyd Doggett, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and Senator John Cornyn) to ask them to assist me with collecting my travel dossier. I will be sure to keep you posted.
