Orwellian tactics coming to a school near you?
Some school kids in Texas are being tracked by GPS to make sure they attend. Of course, there are several ways to deal with kids who skip school other than tracking them with GPS, no matter how many days they miss. This feels weird to even write about, though it should be no surprise as our country slips more and more toward totalitarianism.
Stories such as this have national relevance if for no other reason than they create precedent, a very powerful concept in our judicial system. Other school districts may be hearing arguments in support of this in the near future, and citing this case down in Texas. And these stories illustrate that Dr. Paul’s warnings about violations of our privacy and our other rights are very real, and very timely. Even creepier than the story itself is the defense of it by the local news.
Losses of personal responsibility and individual freedom (no matter at what level) are the very things we are fighting against, and we must continue to spread Dr. Paul’s message of freedom, peace, and prosperity as we try to halt the rising tide of government intervention. Blatant violations of privacy such as this give us a greater opportunity to spread that message.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Before we know it, as babies are now subject to DNA sampling for government data collections and testing, will the babies soon be injected with the microchip too?..
May 14th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Well great. Just what I want for my grandkids(thank goodness my kids are grown), some so-and-so sitting in front of a monitor watching their every move till 9pm. Truancy goes deeper than control by the system, and with families working things out, it usually gets better, if “the system” will leave families alone, as per my post under the “ridiculous new item” string. We are talking about truancy here, not breaking a law. Home schooling may be a better option. But some of the kids on the video did say it was helping them. I wonder if their parents have to approve this. Probably not. And what country are we living in? The home of the free?
May 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I know a lot of adults who maybe should use one of these devices to get them to their jobs on time. Seems a little worse when you think of that, huh? I feel sorry for our kids. I’m mad. Dallas is too close for comfort.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
This is wrong on SO many levels, it’s hard to know where to start. What exactly is this teaching these kids? First, it teaches them that as long as someone is “looking over their shoulder” they should behave. This type of “hand-holding” is part of what is wrong with this country; nobody takes responsibility for anything anymore. This isn’t teaching them to be more responsible, as one student claimed; it is teaching him to behave WHILE HE IS BEING WATCHED. Once the all-mighty state stops watching, then what? Responsibility is something that is learned, appropriately from parents instilling that value. It cannot be forced upon or coerced. Once the GPS is gone, they will go back to their old ways.
Years ago they started “chipping” pets. I had a problem with that, and EVERYONE should have a problem with the state tracking our kids’ whereabouts. Once this sort of thing takes root, it will be impossible to regain our privacy rights. When will parents wake up and insist that WE should be the ones keeping track of our own children? Putting the State in control of raising kids was tried already in Nazi Germany. That didn’t work out so well…..
May 14th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
My guess, is the whole GPS market of tracking gadgets (including cell phones) will eventually be bought out by the major corporation and consolidated into just a few that are very friendly with the goons currently running Washington… eventually big brother will be able to track our every movement.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Thanks for calling attention to this, Matt. I completely agree with your analysis of the creepiness.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I am sure this won’t be a popular view point. If you listen to the story, these kids were in Truancy court where the typical next step for them would be a boot camp. So, these kids were already in trouble and were not following the local laws regarding school attendance. These devices were an alternative to boot camp and in no way are being promoted or advocated as something every student will need to wear.
I think this story needs to be put into perspective. There is no way this would make sense on a large scale for all kids. But, as an option to keep them out of bootcamp and as a last resort, then is this such a bad option? These are troubled kids we are talking about here. They have been breaking the local laws.
Now, if the issue is with truancy laws and the government having control over education in the first place, then I am 100% behind the discontent. The laws shouldn’t exist and the government should stay out of education.
The fact is, the laws do exist and the measures taken here seem better than sending the kids to boot camp; which was the typcal result until these devices were tried, in this one school, as a test to see if they would be effective.
Given the choice between using this device or sending your child to boot camp, which would you prefer? Given the context within which these device were used, I think they are a better alternative than the apparent status quo of sending theses kids to boot camps. And, since this is not being imposed on all students, I do not think it is quite Orwellian in nature. No more so than putting someone on house arrest and forcing them to wear an anklet is Orwellian. It is an alternative to harsher penalties for beaking the law.
Of course, there are better alternatives, such as removing government intervention in education all together and removing these laws from the books. I would be firmly behind that course of action.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
As a parent and a former public school teacher, this is frightening. I had students who had these permanently attached to their ankles as a part of their probation. All the kids I saw with the ankle monitors were proud. It was a symbol of how bad they were. Blowback. I will say that in my personal experience, homeschooling was not an option for these kids. Most of their parents were involved in gangs and drugs or became parents at the mature age of 13 or 14 (referring to my own personal experience, not this news story). I may get lynched here, but I’m not opposed to a PARENT tracking his own child. That’s taking responsibility to make sure your kids aren’t getting in trouble. Even the best parents can have kids who make bad choices consistently. But it MUST be up to the parent and in the sole control of the parent.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I recommend taking a look at this site http://www.parentalrights.org/blog/. Thanks fort he post.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Heather D: Like you mention, I am wholeheartedly opposed to microchipping my beloved dog…not because I am not a caring pet owner, but because I view it as an effort - via the “soft spot” that many of us have for our companion animals - to eventually ease us into the idea of microchipping children and elderly family members. Worse, if I microchip my dog and he’s with me most of the time, isn’t that somewhat akin to having a GPS tracker on myself?! Hmmm…who is the dog microchip REALLY tracking?!
May 14th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Oh I’m glad I had and was able to choose homeschooling for my children. I know not everyone has that option but if you do don’t be afraid to seriously consider it. After the happenings in California that choice could be at risk also. Oh parents have lost and are loosing so many rights! Does anyone know how the California homeschooling thing ended up anyway? It will probably set the stage for things to come so I hope it will turn out positive. Let’s hope parents will keep waking up! I have much hope!!
May 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
RP openly talks about neo cons..
just added……..
this ones for you. You’ll love it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4df1soW7Dho
May 14th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Kim Ray, EXACTLY.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
That video, Colette is..well, it sure shows our dear Ron Paul as the brave man that he is!
I wonder if this is news to some of the house reps? I would love to see the faces of those who listened, and the buz after his speech.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Colette: Thank you for the youtube link on Ron Paul labeling the neo cons for what they are!
May 14th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I’m a current public school teacher and am saddened, but not terribly shocked, by this news. Despite Supreme Court rulings, schools really are “enclaves of totalitarianism”. I constantly see civil rights violations in my school. There’s a school-wide rule requiring students to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, even though it violates state law and the First Amendment. Schools are more like internment camps or prisons than learning centers. There are survelliance cameras in my school. The love of learning is punished right out of students. This article highlights the true nature of compulsory education; it’s purely coercion. If we do not soon pry loose the State’s stranglehold on our children, we’re doomed to an Orwellian or Huxley-esque future based on despotic control, conditioning, and drug “therapy” (consider Ritalin as a relative of the fictional Soma).
May 14th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hey Rupert Murdock! Where are you? Let’s spy on your sleazy deals to undermine our Constitutional Republic.
You couldn’t survive the scrutiny that your uncontrolled totalitarian State imposes on the citizens of the United States.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
*****OFF TOPIC*******
How come there is no mention of Dr. Paul’s interview on NPR’s Talk of the Nation today (5/14)? Just thought I’d spread the word. The interview starts about 30 min. into the program.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90435780
May 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Off Topic ******* What Robert Novak said today about the unity of the GOP:
The claims that McCain has a united Republican Party behind him are greatly exaggerated. We find considerable opposition on the right, ranging from economic conservatives (who consider him too green) to evangelicals. The biggest problem is that he does not realize he has a problem.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Sad, bu not surprising at all. This country has been creeping towards becoming big brother for years, and not just at the national level. If we are to truly keep this country free and bring it back to its conservative roots we need to take it back at every level.
Visit My Website
May 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Are you aware of the interview with Ron Paul on NPR today? A 34-minute interview. Excellent!
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=90438900&m=90438322
May 14th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I watched a movie tonight called “Children of Men” and it was a disturbing fantasy of a futiristic Totalitarianistic society….to be succinct. Very disturbing to see the citizens treated as prisoners. Hopefully people other than ourselves will awaken before it ever happens in our lifetime.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Rewrote some of Pink Floyd’s lyrics in response to the FLDS kids and fits here too.
Hey! Texas! Leave them kids alone!
We don’t need no DNA testing
We don’t need no fingerprints
No dark sarcasm in the media
Texas leave them kids alone
Hey! Texas! Leave them kids alone!
All in all you’re just a stooge of the state
All in all you’re just another stooge of the state
May 15th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Off Subject; the AOL STRAWPOLL is slipping today. Dr. Paul is at 37%. Yesterday, he was at 47%. Surely we haven’t run out of people willing to vote. This is a good indicator, and since the McC–people are still voting, we should to. It starts over each Monday afternoon, so please vote if you haven’t this week. Google, type in aol strawpoll, the click on Political Machine. Their website doesn’t post here most of the time, for some reason.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:18 am
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/05/12/aol-straw-poll-may-12-19/#c12090581
May 15th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Marilyn in Lake Jackson Says: And what country are we living in? The home of the free?
Nope.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Home of the watched…
May 15th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Incredible video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4df1soW7Dho Thanks for posting this.
This is a video that needs good press somehow. Either as a video or transcribed and sent to every letter to editor of town papers or city papers of all of us who see this video.
Also, I believe it should be a video that is on the home page of this site for folks to click on and see. Have it flash to draw attention to it.
Great history of Neoconservatism. Which is not AMERICAN.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Now to comment on topic:
gps tracking is better than boot camps I agree with that, kids are broken at boot camp. But I am NOT for the use of the tracking.
Kids that are troubled need to be held, NURTURED and feel loved. Many troubled kids never felt love or a hug. They are crying out for help. They need to feel valued. If this is done with boundaries in place and accomplishments as their rewards, they will prosper and have self esteem and feel loved. You can’t just talk words, they have to trust and feel nutured and loved etc.
Look at some of the pilot programs that are private schools where the kids are in school from 6 am to 6pm with caring teachers with reward systems and nurturing environments, yet consequences when didn’t meet boundaries. Two guys started one I believe in NYC??
The kids total turnarounds to valued young adults who moved on to college and careers. I’m rambling it’s late……
You get the idea.