Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thursday Thoughts - On Mass Surveillance in America

Why Watch Me?
by Rachel Hoyt
 
image by idea go via freedigitalphotos.net
 
 
What if our loved ones live somewhere abroad?
What if our online friends are a bit odd?
What if our feet like jumping the big blue?
What if our eyes delight in culture too?
What if we work in the margins and cracks?
What if we live by the skin on our backs?
What if we asked for your help that one time?
What if we were falsely framed for a crime?
What if you know we have dreams to spark change?
What if you see us protest something strange?
What if you see a weird rant or ramble?
What if you know that we like to gamble?
When and why do you watch? What do you see?
And why would you take an interest in me?
 
© 2013 Rachel Hoyt. All rights reserved.
 
 
can certainly make one wonder whose watch they are under.
 
 
 

13 comments:

  1. Watching for our "protection". That's always a good excuse.
    Of course the only Big Brother I enjoy, starts next Wednesday.

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  2. do you want the party line...i mean some of you may be dangerous so we watch...ha...it does not surprise me at all...only that it took this long for people to wake up to it...

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    1. It's not surprising to me either, but I am not very happy about it none the less.

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  3. This is a great one Rach; very evident in your rhyming lines how much this reflects you. Great job on the meter and rhyme and overall statement!

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  4. So many questions that I have no answer to. :-(

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    1. I just can't help but wonder how closely they might be watching some who aren't breaking the law. :(

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  5. How can anyone who reads any national media be surprised at Barack Obama's: (1) continuation and enhancement of George W. Bush's practices of prisoner rendition-and-torture; (2) his continuation and enhancement of Bush's practices of wholesale spying on American citizens who are under suspicion of nothing illegal; (3) his massive escalation of Bush's government police actions against those who expose the country's shameful deeds that have been held secret; (4) his seeking to make it legal for the government to lie to petitioners using the Freedom of Information Act as to whether the government has a document in its possession; (5) his keeping secret the government's “interpretation” of the Patriot Act, so that no one can see and judge just how he deals with his country's people; (6) his continuation and enhancement – in violation of International Law and the US Constitution - of Bush's practice of unlimited detainment of prisoners without trial and without charge; (7)his authorized murder of American citizens in other countries along with the murder and dismemberment of innocent women and children torn apart by US drone missiles.

    Almost all of this was documented and in plain view before the election of 2012. Recent events have only expanded the evidence.

    I write this as one who voted for Obama in 2008, not having had the prescience of Noam Chomsky, who has said anyone who knew Obama's previous record would have known what to expect from him.

    But I refuse to continue to be a fool or a progressive milk-toast, unlike the stewards of many national and local publications and many of their readers.

    William Smithers

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    1. Thank you for your comment, William. I wrote this poem in response to the shock were displaying at this 'revelation'. While I have always assumed there was data collected and set aside about me, I have never thought until now that they might actually be reviewing it. I am not very upset because I have nothing to hide, but why should our country waste any resources watching someone like me?

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Rhyming or not, I would like a lot to hear the thoughts my words brought...