The thing is, you have to admit.......well, you don't have to admit anything. I hate it when people say that. You only HAVE to admit anything when you're in thumbscrews. And then what you say may or not be true, anyway. Where was I?
The whole control issue is a sensitive one for me, and I'm probably going to start this, and not be able to stop.
What most people find great about Mr. Thompson is that it's easy to write him off a delusional paranoid, when you really listen, you realize that despite the bullshit, he is often more concise and honest than some of the "reliable sources." He's also got a wicked sense of humor and is fun to read.
The problem I face with people like Hunter, and WSB, is that I relate to what they say a little too much. I have these feelings and observations on my own, and I initially take comfort in those that feel the same way. They can also rile me up, though, and I don't know where to draw the line between "being careful," and completely withdrawing.
I'm pretty damn anti-social and I don't trust too many people as it is. But I don't want to live in fear. I don't think that the solution for me is to build a compound in the mountains, and I don't want to live like that. I'm trying to figure out where educating myself ends and living in fear begins. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy paranoia as much as the next guy. But I don't think that any old knock on my door in the morning, or a cop following me down the road should cause panic.
There's a good example right here in town. The "party" district of Tampa is an old run down part of town called Ybor City. 7th Ave is our Bourbon Street, if you will, and the big business there is of course bars and nightclubs. While having been popular for many years, the corporations are moving in, and now we have a mall, parking garages, a Hilton and a movie theater. The area is still somewhat seedy though, and is virtually surrounded by slums, and the cops always have their hands full with the usual drunken violence and lunacy these sorts of places attract. In an effort to cut down on crime, surveillance cameras were placed all along 7th Ave last year, and I'm more creeped out by that than I ever was by homeless people, or over indulgent partiers.
The images from these cameras are received in a control room at the Centro Ybor mall. There the police use software and a huge database, to scan crowds and identify anyone they consider suspect. I recently saw an explanation of this technology on a program about the Casinos in Vegas, and I understand that an identical setup was used at the Superbowl in Tampa.
But here the technology is right out in public, treating every pedestrian as a suspect. Anyone walking down the street is given an electronic pat down courtesy of the TPD. I just don't see how people can accept this. I have nothing to hide, that's not the point. Where I go, where I spend my money, and who I hang out with shouldn't be on a file somewhere unless I'm actually accused of doing something wrong.
I've heard stories of some folks that were allegedly detained for questioning for standing in front of a camera, wearing rubber masks holding signs warning of Big Brother.
What really scares me, is that now that they have this in place, where will it go next? How will the information be used, and will we even know about it?
Meanwhile here in Al's world, what the fuck can I do about it anyway? I've sent my letter to the TPD, and I've stayed away from 7th Ave, what more is there?
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