Many Americans are coming to the conclusion that government is not simply inept, hindered by bureaucratic red tape and political back and forth, but that it is fatally flawed and an unlikely source for restoring liberty in our nation.  Increasing numbers of Americans are reaching into the attic, and dusting off old American traits that were once part of the fabric of the American identity.  Traits like self-sufficiency, individualism, independence, and local community mutual support (think barn raising).  Traits that once served more rugged generations, but that have largely been forgotten by the heirs of those who once made this nation great.

Americans are now beginning to remember their birthright, and they are growing increasingly dissatisfied with both government action, and government inaction.  They are beginning to think government is unable or unwilling to value their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  They are looking inward to themselves, to their families, and to their local communities to secure their blessings.  While this may seem a “radical” idea to some, it is a cornerstone of the American experience and, ironically, is the very foundation of good American government.  Technology, as it often does, is taking center stage in these efforts.  Americans are looking to technology to provide their own independent sources of electricity, to grow their own food, and to defend themselves and their communities from violence and propaganda.

 

The internet, faster and smaller computer equipment, and camera systems are allowing citizens to record and secure the truth of events in their interactions with a police culture that often (though not always) acts more like a street gang than a professional force committed to serve and protect.  Smart device applications are being created to preserve the truth in situations of police abuse, to help bring about accountability for constitutional violations, and to leverage community action to make it known to public servants that the public is in fact watching.  Case in point, the huge success of the Peaceful Streets Project in Austin, Texas.

Still, technology is a double edged sword.  The same smart devices that are used to capture misconduct and to defend our constitutional liberties, are also being used to attack those same civil liberties.  Recently, the Sixth Court of Appeals incorrectly ruled that the Fourth Amendment does not protect Americans from law enforcement tracking their location through their cell phones without a warrant.  If the Court is to be believed, law enforcement can track any innocent persons, using their smart device digital effects, to search for the location of their persons, perhaps located in their houses, despite the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches of their persons, houses, papers, and effects and requiring an oath or affirmation "particularly describing the place to be searched" prior to the issue of a search warrant.

The question then becomes, is the technology worth it?  Does it defend or secure liberty more than it provides a tool to violate the rights of the People?  Is the solution to embrace and further technology in the steps of Wikileaks and Anonymous, or to forsake tools of oppression, to become Luddites to send a message to technology corporations, their lobbyists, and the government that we demand a little privacy in exchange for our monthly payments?

In my view, the solution may be a mix of both paths, but generally I am of the opinion that technology must be embraced, mastered, and leveraged.  The history of conflict is not kind to peoples who do not embrace technology, as the Samurai learned in the face of gun powder, preferring to stick with their swords.  While this example doesn’t directly correlate, as the Samurai were not tracked by their weapon selection, the principle remains.  The technological train has left the station.  There is quite simply no longer any privacy in public for private individuals, and the privacy of private property is now in question, as the Sixth Court of Appeals made clear to America, and as 30,000 drones will likely make absolutely crystal clear.  While this may be an uncomfortable fact for those of us who value our privacy while we legally conduct our lives and pursue happiness, it is the reality we are faced with and, in my view, it cannot be changed.

If my crystal ball is accurate, then the question then becomes, do we let government agents and corporations control the truth of events, to provide surveillance evidence when it fits their desires, or do we get on board and secure the truth of events for ourselves, to defend our liberty from those who lie and inflict lawless violence?  We must accept the reality we live in, and prepare ourselves.  We must put down the Samurai sword, arm ourselves with recording technology, demand our right to keep and bear camera, and embrace technology and community.  For liberty.  For America.