Obama’s “change” has appears to be an exchange

.

From the times of the Great Depression through the 1950’s, some people were known as those who were just “passing through” town. During that time, one could pass through a town anonymously. Those days are gone. With fingerprint, information, a certifiable form of identification, a social security number, a speck of DNA or a face recognition photograph authorities have the ability to know everything there is to know about an individual. That individual had better have their legal ducks in a row before passing anywhere.

This is but a tiny fragment of an example of those things that have happened to lessen individual freedom. It does not call to account financial transactions or a variety of other germane information. It is probably a good thing that people and their past may be immediately known to police forces and government agencies. Getting thieves, child molesters and murderers off the streets is always a good thing yet for those guilty of comparatively minor infractions such as vagrancy, disorderly conduct or possibly even traffic offenses, it may not. There is a degree of forgiveness that should be afforded an individual who has made the effort to clean up their act even if that forgiveness comes to them by way of a different geographic location.

Increasing the government’s ability to survey, investigate and control an individual has long been the dream of governmental authorities wishing to provide sustainable order among the people. Technology, without further legal augmentation makes this job far easier but it does so at the expense of the autonomy of the individual. Traditionally, legislation evoking increased taxation and erosion into personal freedom has been the province of the more liberal leaning of our leaders. Even without legislation that would further facilitate this erosion, technology has taken steps that they could have only dreamed of in years past.

During this election cycle, voters need to consider not only the credibility and integrity of the Candidates but they must also evaluate the value of “Freedom”. Do we want an even more extreme version of monitoring of our lives than that which was envisioned in the story “1984”? Is privacy a thing that should be discarded to the trash heap or is it a thing that should be preserved?

The issues offered as talking points by both candidates are sometimes an indicator of how they would respond to like issues when given the opportunity. Freedom, privacy and individual rights have never been a topic broached by a candidate during my lifetime but it may well be the defining issue I will take with me when I cast my vote. To date everything involving Obama’s “change” has appeared to me as an exchange. The concept is that he wants to exchange my rights and give them to the government to manage for me. No thanks.