I was floored listening to NRA News the other night to learn some more details of the PA Department of Homeland Security, which was called out a few months ago for issuing an alert about the annual Second Amendment rally in Harrisburg. Now more details are coming out as to exactly what these people are up to. Have a listen:
Here’s a link to the story which talks about PA Homeland security spying on old quaker ladies. I’m not going to go so far as to say monitoring Twitter, a public forum, is “big brother” tactics, but is sure as hell seems like a total waste of my tax dollars. Now this, on the other hand, is big brother tactics. Remember that these are the same people who have been telling us that gun owners are a dangerous lot.
I agree with what he is saying in spirit, but allow me to reflect out loud:
At the outset of the first Gulf War I had occasion to sit in on a meeting of at our local Quaker “Peace Center.” I was disturbed that at least several of the attendees, who I gathered were regulars, were very loud and overtly outspoken, professing communists. So, to refer to the cited example of “Quaker grandmothers,” maybe the grannies aren’t worth watching, but maybe they have been known to travel with people who are thought to be.
That is to use the left end of the spectrum as an example. On the right end, who have gun rights advocates been known to associate with and tolerate in their midst? Virtually anyone who will give lip-service to our issue?
The whole concept of citizen surveillance is distasteful, but maybe this is nature’s way of telling us and the Quaker grannies we need to think about shrinking our tents.
Shame. What is more onerous – the surveillance or the targets of, and the excuses for, the surveillance?
My vote is with “the surveillance.” I’m not afraid of communists having meetings. I’m not afraid of terrorists. Life is full of danger and mitigation of danger may only go so far until that mitigation becomes a de facto tool of fascism.
I’ll take my chances and be free.
Thanks Big Brother, but No Thanks.
Ed:
Actually I totally agree with you. As I said I agreed with the video in spirit. It was not my intention to make “excuses” for surveillance, but to suggest explanations here in our present reality. The citing of “Quaker grandmothers” smacked of being a bit of spin and hyperbole, both of which detract from any legitimate debate — as did my citing of “professing communists,” though in that instance the subjects were making statements that could have been construed as suggesting violence. One extreme or another, I suppose.
In my example the communists contributed nothing useful to any debate about the Gulf War, and they did not contribute anything to the efforts of the “Quaker grannies” who were graciously hosting them as fellow travelers for “peace.” All I was suggesting is that we as private individuals might learn from such examples. RKBA advocates in particular have a huge population of time-wasters (at best) trying to insert “other” agendas into our efforts.