Instead of an elephant, the symbol of the Republicans needs to be changed to an Ostrich pulling his head out of the sand and going. “When did this happen?”
Outrage from the RW about how awful it is that the FBI got information from a bank. Outrage at the bank for releasing the information. As if this doesn’t happen all the time. And it happens all the time. And none of you have ever moaned or complained before.
Since this is apparently new for you all. Let’s get started explaining how things really work, and how they have worked for a long time.
In the Supreme Court Decisions Smith V. Maryland and United States V. Miller the Supreme Court held that banks, and other institutions providing information to Law Enforcement was proper and correct even if there was no warrant. Why? Because when you provided the information to the bank, you surrendered your Fourth Amendment Rights. You no longer had a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. These decisions were from the 1970’s and 1980’s. They’ve been around for a while.
To show what Congress thought of these decisions, you need only try and open a Bank Account. The Federal Government requires the Banks to get all sorts of identifying information on you, before they are allowed to open a bank account for you. And it gets worse. If you walk in with ten thousand dollars in cash. Let’s say you have been putting money aside every week in an emergency fund, and are worried that you have too much cash that can be stolen. Well, you have to fill out a form explaining where you got the money.
Now, for decades the Right has argued that this is good. You see, when it was anyone but them being subjected to these violations of our Civil Rights, that was fine. If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide. Does that sound familiar? It has been the battle cry of the Right whenever the Civil Rights are discussed. If you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide.
Your cell phone is tracking you right now. You can’t turn it off. Why? Congress passed a law requiring any cell phones sold in the US have GPS position data available. This was for your safety. That way if you dialed 911 and were unable to speak, or were confused as to your actual location, emergency personnel could still reach you. Of course, ten seconds later Stingray and other systems were created to gather this data for the Government.
Now all of a sudden these practices that have been going on nearly my entire life are wrong. They’re outrageous. They are an abomination. They show a Government oppressing the people. They have been doing this to you for decades, and you cheered it. You denounced the Left as loving Criminals if they objected to this. The FBI whipped you into a frenzy explaining that Drug Dealers and Child Predators would continue to prey on society if they didn’t do this. You cheered it. You had nothing to fear, so you had nothing to hide.
Now, all the predictions are coming true. The old story that you ignored. First they came for the Socialist, and I did not object. Because I was not a socialist.
When we who cared about Civil Rights objected, you accused us of being criminals, or criminal lovers. You accused us of being drug dealers, or child predators. You told us time and time again, if you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide.
Now, you’re finding out how awful it is to have your rights trampled, and it is outrageous. It is a whole new game. You either don’t know, or don’t care that this has been going on for Fifty years.
This is the world you said we needed. This is the world you said we must have to protect the children. When the FBI demanded these powers you insulted and belittled and cheered when they got it. Now, you realize that you’ve been targeted all along, and they were only waiting to act on that.
Imagine the thousands, tens of thousands who would not be in prison if you hadn’t cheered. Imagine the privacy you would have now if you had not swallowed the hype hook line and sinker. Taste the bitter pill of totalitarian tactics being turned on you instead of “them”.
Outraged about this? What do you have to hide?
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