Am I paranoid?
I was not too surprised by the revelation that President Bush has authorized the NSA to eavesdrop on Americans. According to the NY Times piece that reported the program, the NSA has been monitoring international phone calls and emails without obtaining warrants. Bush has vehemently defended the practice, claiming it is a vital tool in hunting down terrorists and protecting Americans.
However, the news hit particularly close to home for me. For it made me wonder, am I on a list? Is my name cataloged in some government database somewhere? Let me explain why I wonder this.
I have a friend living in Britain. We met when she was doing an internship here in the states. She was forced to leave and go back home after her internship was voided (fired over personal reasons). We chose to correspond through email, of which I have sent and replied to perhaps half a dozen in the last few months.
I would also like to mention that my friend is East Indian and like most people, her name is reflected in her email address. I mention this because it makes me wonder that if my emails have been monitored. Has her nationality meant our conversations have been given more scrutiny? Is there asterisk next to my name because the NSA thinks I may have emailed a potential terrorist?
And if I have been flagged for additional surveillance, has that meant that other aspects of my life have been collected and cataloged as well. Has the Patriot Act allowed the government to monitor my cellphone, my purchases, or even what websites I frequent? Have they been able to access personal stuff like my blogs? Have they viewed my Anti-Bush administration rants of late as a threat? Will I soon be visited by government agents asking me questions to which they may not like the answers to?
But when one thinks about it, that is the point of allowing the revelation of this program (and others) to come out. Paranoia is the name of the game. Fearful that one's actions may be monitored typically results in the individual changing their behavior, be it a terrorist plotting an attack or a peace activist planning to attend an anti-war rally.
I may be paranoid. But then again, it may be for a good reason.
(Originally posted on Yahoo360)
However, the news hit particularly close to home for me. For it made me wonder, am I on a list? Is my name cataloged in some government database somewhere? Let me explain why I wonder this.
I have a friend living in Britain. We met when she was doing an internship here in the states. She was forced to leave and go back home after her internship was voided (fired over personal reasons). We chose to correspond through email, of which I have sent and replied to perhaps half a dozen in the last few months.
I would also like to mention that my friend is East Indian and like most people, her name is reflected in her email address. I mention this because it makes me wonder that if my emails have been monitored. Has her nationality meant our conversations have been given more scrutiny? Is there asterisk next to my name because the NSA thinks I may have emailed a potential terrorist?
And if I have been flagged for additional surveillance, has that meant that other aspects of my life have been collected and cataloged as well. Has the Patriot Act allowed the government to monitor my cellphone, my purchases, or even what websites I frequent? Have they been able to access personal stuff like my blogs? Have they viewed my Anti-Bush administration rants of late as a threat? Will I soon be visited by government agents asking me questions to which they may not like the answers to?
But when one thinks about it, that is the point of allowing the revelation of this program (and others) to come out. Paranoia is the name of the game. Fearful that one's actions may be monitored typically results in the individual changing their behavior, be it a terrorist plotting an attack or a peace activist planning to attend an anti-war rally.
I may be paranoid. But then again, it may be for a good reason.
(Originally posted on Yahoo360)
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