We live in one of the safest places in America. You'd never know it, though, judging by the "better safe than sorry" attitude that would put video cameras in our public squares and microchips on our driver's licenses.
Brattleboro Reformer.
Until Al Queda shows up in the Green Mountain State and starts holding Holsteins hostage, lets just live our lives like we always have. And if that dread day does come, we'll deal with the invaders in the ruthless spirit of Ethan, Seth, and the rest of the Boys.
I need to pile on here. How predictable for the Reformer that the best example of bad behavior in security matters, the undoing of VT society, is "chips" in driver licenses. These are the chips that contain information on blood type for the ER docs, criminal records for the police to know with whom they are dealing and, oh no, verifiable immigration status. The irony is that all this information exists in the government today and is largely useless in a relevant timeframe. The issue is not whether technology should be used to make the inefficient workable but, rather, should government know any particular fact about us to begin with. Technology is only a tool of ours, including our policy makers, and is no more inherently evil today than the telegraph in the 19th century.
If the Reformer wants to chew up valuable editorial space (btw,on the internet) it should at least focus on the issue of privacy vs. security or, broadly, liberty vs. security and lay off which generation of the pony express delivers the information the government already has.
Vermont cannot afford any misguided notions about the status of (chip)technology in American life. It is here. It is increasing. Technologically, Vermont is 10 years behind and working half days to catch up and ignorant editorials only serve to widen the gap between us and the rest of American society.
Posted by: Jack Harding | July 31, 2007 at 08:32 PM
I am with Geoff and the Reformer on this one. Our culture of fear is eroding our privacy... and costing us too much money!
Jack, I am with you on Vermont keeping up with technology, but at what cost as far as personal liberty?
Do we need cameras in Clarendon or RFIDs in our licenses in order to protect us? Protect us against what, exactly?
Spend the money ,instead, on making sure my kids have jobs and can stay here when they get older...
If they ever do put a damn RFID chip in my license, I am sure a quick hammer in the right spot (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/start.html?pg=9) will protect my privacy just fine... a cheap fix... I am sure Ethan would approve!
Posted by: James Hathaway | August 04, 2007 at 08:52 AM