Right to Privacy
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
March 5, 2008 12:57am CST
It seems that Congress is in favor of you being video taped without your knowledge by a group for the purpose of a news story. The beef recall is an example. The Humane Society used hidden cameras - video taping with out the peoples permission - to find out how the animals were being treated. Several years ago there was a story of a school mistreating students (as reported by one parent) and the local TV station sent a team of reported to investigate. The school cooperated and let them talk to the teacher and even showed them the classroom after telling them and receiving assurances that they would not film the classroom because students were in there and it was a privacy issue. The reported agreed (as heard on camera) yet went in with a hidden camera and video taped the classroom and students.
Congress has a problem with the government listening in on known terrorist talking to some one in the US or another country trying to keep us safe from another attack. Why isn't Congress upset with the Humane Society for invading the Privacy of the meat packing employees. Can someone tell me the difference between video taping a business because you want to see if they are mistreating the animals and listening in on a phone conservation of a person who might be plotting an attack against America or its interests?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
5 Mar 08
The fourth amendment guarantees a right to not be subjected to warrantless searches and seizures. This, however, applies only to the government and not the private sector. If an organization allows a person in, they have just forfeited their right to privacy to that person (unless they have it signed and on paper that they won't take pictures).
Wiretapping is considered wrong because it's the government doing it - which is directly prohibited by the 4th amendment. It's an entirely different matter when a private organization violates the privacy of another organization. You could make it a trespassing issue, if you wanted to - but if you gave them permission to be there in the first place, then you're up a creek.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
5 Mar 08
So, you'd rather eat meat that could make you sick or worse than have the Humane Society take video tapes of the animals being treated cruelly but I assume because Bush did it you have no problem with your private phone calls being wiretapped by the government? If they weren't doing something underhanded they wouldn't have a problem with getting a warrant and it's BS that they don't have time because they can get the warrant 72 hours after the fact. If these videos had never been taken of these meat packing employees the meat never would have been recalled and our children in particular, since this meat went to schools including several in my area, would have been at risk. How many more unsafe and cruel practices are being done in meat plants that we haven't been told about?
Annie
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
5 Mar 08
So, you'd rather have terrorist making phone calls that could make plans to injure us or worse than have the Government uncover the plots being hatched but I assume because a do good organization did it you have no problem with your work space being video taped with out your permission trying to find something you were doing wrong? If you weren't doing something underhanded you wouldn't have a problem with getting video taped. If these wire taps had been in place before 9/11 there would be thousands of Americans still alive. It was a FISA Court that denied the FBI access to the 20th Hijackers computer hard drive. If the FBI had access to the hard drive they may have been able to prevent 9/11.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Mar 08
Do you really believe it's only "known terrorists" whose conversations are being wiretapped? There have been enough stories about this Administration having those who disagree with them fired I wouldn't put anything past them and the fact they don't want to get a warrant, even after the fact, bothers me greatly.
Annie
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Mar 08
I worked for the Post Office for 18 years and the last few years I was there we ( the carriers) were given a scanner, which was more like a GPS device which was not supposed to be used for "harassment, intimidation, or punishment" - think again. It was used as a means to make us account for literally every second of the day with pretty much no room for variables from one day to the next due to silly little things like weather, road conditions, or mail volume. That was an attempt to catch us doing something wrong or to find a way to invent something if there wasn't one. Meat packing employees are responsible for the health and safety of millions of people which makes it a bit different. 9/11 could have possibly been prevented if the Administration had paid attention to the memo about Bin Laden planning attacks in the U.S. using airliners. As for the 20th hijacker, he wasn't a U.S. citizen and we weren't talking about listening in on private phone conversations.
Annie
