Amy Draeger wrote: > One would hope that our council members would review they > reasons they passed a resolution against the Patriot Act > before they allow themselves to be snookered into believing > this is the right thing to do. The Patriot Act is all about > giving the government power to invade personal liberty on the > basis of what might occur. So is allowing government the > power to suveil citizens on the streets. Even Barrett Lane > should vote against this one on the basis of its glaring > inconsistency with previous Council action on the Patriot Act.
Anyone who has read the List for a while will know that I'm rather radical about individual rights and Constitutional protections. So, it might come as a surprise that I don't have any objections to public video surveillance. We don't have much Constitutional protection of privacy in public and there is no reasonable assumption why we should. If these cameras could see under your clothes or inside your bags then I would agree, but they cannot. I would be opposed to the use of any technologies that could. I am much more worried by the fact that I can be arrested at an airport for using an obscene word than knowing that someone might take my picture as I enter an adult bookstore. However, what they do with such a picture is an entirely different matter. I would suggest that the council insure that video tapes only be used for criminal investigations and prosecutions and that they institute criminal penalties for individuals who release any pictures or recordings to the press or the public that are not specifically linked to active criminal cases. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
