Suggestion for Dr. Paul

[Ira Aten]

I believe during the next debate,Dr. Paul should consider proposing a bold new initiative for a new Federal Law to protect our elected officials and the employees who work for them. (One which is within the scope and confines of the privacy protections of the Fourth Amendment naturally.)

I believe Dr. Paul should suggest a new Federal Law which requires video cameras to be placed in the offices of any and all elected officials and government employees, and in any government owned automobiles in which they travel.

The cameras should be monitored naturally, by legal American Citizens NOT in public service, but as volunteers FOR Public service, who would act as a sort of policing agency/Ombudsman office for the People of the United States in order to make certain no Politicians or staff members are tempted to accept any bribes, or commit any illicit acts.

After all, consider what occurred to poor Representative Haywood Jeffers, the Democrat Congressional Representative from Louisiana. He was "stung" by the Federal government, tempted by the lure of 90 Thousand Dollars which he stuffed into his freezer at home.

Now poor Representative Jeffers is facing legal problems. HOWEVER, if cameras were installed in his government office (which is a public, not private office) or in say, any government vehicles in which he traveled, it would offer at least SOME protection against "sting" operations or any bribe offers. Very few people would offer such bribes, or accept them, if there was a big sign warning them that they are being videotaped.

As we all know, the government cameras which monitor We the People, are for our general safety. We have public agencies such as TXDOT monitoring us when we drive, we have municipalities videotaping us so we don't run red lights and have accidents.

So I cannot imagine any Public Servant or their staff having any honest objections to us protecting them in return for what they do every day for us!

Naturally an exception can be made for issues involving actual matters relating to National Security, and some method certainly can be found to determine what are NOT matters of National Security, and what actually ARE matters of National Security.

But for everyday office business in the buildings which we the People own or lease for their benefit, I believe Dr. Paul should suggest this, or a similar initiative during the next debate.

Not only would he win the debates again, he would guarantee he won the General Election as a write in candidate if necessary, should the Republican Party be successful in their goal of freezing him out of the Primaries, to insure only a NEO-CON candidate stays in the race.

[beermotor]

Um, we want to shrink the police state, not enlarge it. You always have to remember,

1) who pays?
2) who gets to use this?
3) HOW COULD THIS BE ABUSED?

That's my problem with the various datamining efforts ... where does all this crap go? Some "secure" area? Just waiting to be hacked into / abused... we need to repeal the various surveillance efforts, that's all part of the Giuliani gameplan.

[LibertyCzar]

I agree in principle that government officials should be subject to intense oversight and scrutiny. But the details of how this is done are the issue. No matter what is done, proper confidentiality must be protected. As a taxpayer, I wouldn't mind paying for an effective program that would combat political corruption.

[LibertyEagle]

I actually like the idea. All in the name of keeping them "safe", you know. LOL.

I however think all the surveillance of American citizens should be removed.

[tsoldrin]

How Orwellian.

[Ira Aten]

Dear TSOLDIN:

Well of course it is Orwellian. Of course it is ridiculous. Nobody wants to have cameras trained on them 24/7. That is why, until such a lunatic like idea is proposed, the people who allow it to be done to us in outright violation of our Fourth Amendment Rights will never perform their duty, and demand it be halted.

Perhaps proposing the initiative is the method of demonstrating just how hacked off we the People actually are at the idea of being under a constant Police State surveilance system every time we walk out into "public" to have our 4th Amendment rights violated while at the same time millions of Illegal Aliens stream across our border.

It was suggested as a method of demonstrating just how hacked off we are about such things as:

TXDOT cameras trained on you 24/7;
Municipalities training cameras on you at every intersection you stop at, 24/7;
X-Ray screening in Airports showing 80 year old ladies nude to "security" personnel manning those cameras;
John Warner Defense Authorization Act;
North American Partnership Agreement/NAU Treaty;
Patriot Act;
Pre-emptive Bombing as "Foreign Policy";
Unlawful and Illegal search and seizures such as "dynamic entry";
"Free Speech Zones" being established in certain cities, etc.

Perhaps if cameras were installed in Government offices previous to them training those cameras on us, the list of things outlined above, may have been held in check by the People of the United States when they went to vote for the idiots who initiated and allowed it.

In other words, these things would never have come about, if we were watching them, as close as they are watching us.

Just a thought.