Xmas shopping 2005

[Guest guest]

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING UNDER THE EYE OF HOMELAND SECURITY

 

A READER - The other day I was in an electronics chain store doing

 

some Christmas shopping. On the check out line (two people ahead of

 

me) some guy was buying a bunch of prepaid cell phones as gifts for

 

his family members and friends for Christmas. I paid it no mind. . .

 

after all I was buying two or three of the same types of things;

 

Battery chargers for my pop, and my buddy, two sets of head phones, and

so on.

 

 

By the time I was in the front of the line, I overheard the counter

 

clerk talking to the managing clerk. " Do you think I should call the

 

Department of Homeland Security on him? " she asked the managing clerk.

 

I was shocked, but decided to bite my lip. " Call him in " the managing

 

clerk said. " But it's obvious he was Christmas shopping " the clerk

 

said " I don't know! " said the managing clerk " The rules say we have to

 

report him. Call it in " .

 

 

They both seemed very frustrated by this, and neither wanted to do it.

 

The clerk now realizing I was hearing all this, looked at me and

 

explained that the DHS had instructed this store (and I assume all its

 

chain affiliates) to report people who had purchased quantities of

 

certain electronics (obviously prepaid mobile phones).

 

 

" It makes no sense " the clerk continued " We have to report them, but

 

we can't tell them about this rule. . . So this guy comes in to buy

 

phones and now I have to report him? " . The clerk was obviously against

 

this whole concept and was happy to let everyone know about it.

 

 

Now some of you may be thinking that this is a great idea to protect

 

our homeland and what not, but I see it as a glaring and illegal

 

intrusion on our privacy, and a potential mouse trap to ensnare those

 

who would otherwise live lawful and peaceful lives. Imagine this guy

 

who bought phones has to go through painful and humiliating intrusions

 

by the DHS. . . .

 

 

A worse case scenario: He gets apprehended, questioned, and released.

 

During that time, he misses work, and maybe Christmas. He loses his

 

job when his boss catches wind he is a " person of interest " , and his

 

family is heart broken when he is unable to be home for Christmas

 

because he is in a holding cell somewhere.

 

 

A best case scenario: He never finds out he is being watched, but many

 

members of law enforcement now have intimate knowledge of this man for

 

a misguided reason, and who knows how sensitive or humiliating that can be.

 

 

Simply put, invasive and constitutionally illegal government measures

 

will not foil a future terrorist action. It won't. There is a reason

 

why we (used to) have laws that protect our privacy. It's the

 

foundation of our civil liberties that define the privilege of being

American.

 

 

To wrap this up, next time you buy your son a new rifle for hunting,

 

or a two way radio for your husband and you to stay in-touch, or who

 

knows whatever can be misconstrued as a tool of terrorism, watch out.

 

You may become a " person of interest " . Seriously look at this story as

 

a stern warning. It's all true. . . Pay cash and avoid the big chain

 

stores that seem to partake in secretive agreements with governmental

 

agencies that invade your privacy in this very severe way.

 

 

Remember the clerk let the cat out of the bag out of disgust. She's a

 

true hero because she is putting her job on the line for the sake of

 

our privacy. The store had no intention of warning us. It still amazes

 

me that this is going on. It's beyond what we've experienced thus far,

 

because you can now get in trouble with the government for the most

 

" patriotic " of acts: Shopping.

 

 

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