Where Have All My Rights Gone?
by Chris McConnell
December 7, 2003


I'm scared, and I haven't done anything wrong whatsoever.

This country is becoming everything we don't want it to be. The RIAA and MPAA have total control over music until they are taken down or deteriorate over time. We now have the Patriot Act, which takes away our basic rights as American citizens. And we may soon have Patriot Act II, which would take things a lot farther than they've already gone.

First, the RIAA and MPAA. How could this country possibly have a couple of organizations as stupid as these? The RIAA is suing kids and people who don't have a computer. And even some people with computers don't even have an internet connection, never mind not using ANY P2P applications. Also, while this is going on, our ISPs are allowing this to go on. Granted, there are a couple that are fighting for our privacy, but overall, we have some truly weak providers. I only download independent artists' music if they have it available, and every once in a while, I get a song from a major label artist if it's available on their official website. Now, if the RIAA or my ISP sees that I'm downloading these files, they could threaten me until I stop, even though I've done absolutely nothing wrong. I don't even have P2P applications installed on my computer. But all that doesn't matter to them. Not in this country.

Second, the Patriot Act. This is the most invasive and anti-civil rights document in the world. This alone makes me forget about everything else going on elsewhere. If the Justice Department finds you to be a threat or part of an organization they don't like or know anything about, they can mark you as a threat and detain you without any contact with the outside world. No lawyer, no family, no friends. Just you, a cell lit 24 hours a day, and those who watch over you and take away every right you used to enjoy. Nobody deserves this unless there's absolute proof that they've done something wrong. And only if that something wrong would have or has harmed somebody. Everybody has rights, no matter what you say. You cannot contradict documents that were written up in order to establish our country. And that is exactly what happened the day Bush signed the Patriot Act.

Finally, the Patriot Act II. I don't know too much about this document, but I do know that it will make things even worse than the Patriot Act has. We cannot allow something more along these lines. If we sit idly by without debating it and educating the country, then our homeland will start to deteriorate beginning with our civil liberties.

If all this is allowed to stay the way it is, and made to be worse than it already is, it's about time to move from this country. I hear it costs $100,000 to become a Canadian citizen these days. Is this true? I'd really like to know the details on this, because my outlook on our future is not at all good.

Ha, I hit 'Enter' when I meant to hit 'Tab'. My description box was supposed to say:

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Remember the days when we could be carefree, and the government sat on the front porch and watched you joyfully play in your front yard like a loving grandparent?
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And I really would like to know the details on Canada's rules for becoming a citizen. Maybe a link?

The way I've been hearing it everything sounds kinda like when the Alien and Sedition Acts were set in motion to get anyone who had negative things to say about the government. The way my history teacher told it we were very very luck that we didn't end up with a super supressive government. Well here we are again. This time with a better name for the act. Patriot, a lovely word that sounds great to most people. Something to strive for. Even though it really a twisted concept. Fits the bill perfectly. Sounds great, but something different on the inside. Like the apple with perfect skin and worms at the core.

undeath- http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/howto-e.html for the details on becoming a citizen of Canada. It's a government page.

I know that right now it seems hard. But, things will balance out. The security paranoia will fade away and the Patriot Act, like the Alien/Sedition Act and Lincoln's act during the Civil War, will eventually be gone.

US citizens need to speak up for their rights. If all of do it, no government can intimidate us. Our government needs reform, and you can help make that happen by becoming polticially active.

I am a US citizen and proud of it. I'm not moving somewhere else. I'm staying here and ensuring that myself, my generation, and future generations get the rights that all US citizens should enjoy.

:-:~ Phantom

ConsumersAbyss- you remembered the Alien/Sedition acts just like I did. You're right. We may have this law now, but it will probably be repealed in the future.

:-:~ Phantom

Thanks for the link. Lately, I've been feeling threatened and VERY unsafe in this country. And not afraid to lose my life, but afraid that the government would interfere with it. I'm not making any long-term decisions, but I'm keeping it on the back burner.

You know, I thought that when I grew up and was able to make my own decisions, everything would be great. But I'm cursed by being smart and reading up on stuff. That's what I blame for my paranoia. If I had never read anything, I wouldn't have these worries.

I read that page, and there's one thing I don't understand. It says you must have lived there for at leats 3 out of 4 years. Does this mean you must have been in the country for a total of 3 years instead of 3 years straight? If so, I don't think I want to become a permanent citizen yet. Maybe sometime I'll move to Vancouver, though. It's something I've wanted to do for 2 1/2 years since I was 17. Heard it's beautiful up there.

There is no excuse for the patriot act, our rights are tantamount to security. I whole hertedly believe that if we give up our rights to the toutings of "freedom cost something" we will lose our freedoms. welcome to the new era of surveilance and fear. Kiss the old days goodbye. Milatirism is not freedom, and National security is not peace.

You don't have to give up your U.S. Citizenship to live in Canada. Defently not something you should just pack up and not come back. You might not like it up there. You might, but in any case you don't need to sign off on the U.S. to try out Canada.

I know, purfus, but I was thinking that I would become a permanent citizen, which has been a tentative decision from the beginning anyway. I'll definitely be visiting a few times probably next year, making it the third country I've been to (woohoo!). Before that, I'll be making my rounds to every state (I've been to every state along the east coast and a couple others. It all depends on everything planned working out. That is, if I become a writer or something with a TV show or something.

I have been rumbling about extpatriating myself to Amsterdam or England. Then I thought of Canada. However, I am reading a book on corporations and consolidation, "Wealth By Stealth" by Harry Glasbeek. Apparently Canada has MUCH more rapacious corporate greed than even Amerika.Perhaps Natalie Brown or Jon Newton can enlighten us.

Although Canada has a laughable music industry, that is not my concern. For me to consider bailing out is a tragedy: I am a good ol' American boy with settled family in Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains for 200 years. You are correct in all your readings, Chris.

Reed Morgan, who works for the Association for Competitive Technology (lobbyists for large software corporations, notably Microsoft), recently participated in a lively give-and-take session on Slashdot. At the risk of "putting my job in jeopardy" he quips, "let me get on my soapbox:

"If you think the DMCA or the CDBTPA was a threat to your personal liberty, you would be outraged and disgusted by the recently passed anti-terrorism legislation, the PATRIOT Act.

A quick overview of the rights and privileges that are destroyed by this legislation are stunning and saddening. Tax information sharing, secret searches, grand jury testimony sharing, warrentless email searches (granted this already existed in a form), possibly warrantless searches of medical or education information, poorly worded money laundering provisions, Single-Jurisdiction search warrants and so on."

Yeah, I would like input from Canadians about the culture and perhaps opinionated advice based on issues and life up there. Although I love Connecticut and have built up quite a reputation and group of friends, I'd like to explore my other options. It's my last resort, as it is with a lot of people, but I'm coming ever closer to moving. I was actually mulling over a Canadian video game college over in Vancouver (or was it Seattle, WA?) a couple years back, but decided against it since I was more into my music and movies.

Also, I was to attend a college in Colorado in September of last year and end this coming March, but called and let them know I wouldn't be able to make it because other stuff came up. The actual reason was that I would be going to a school that teaches you how to build the electronic aspects of airplanes, and it was right near an old airport. This airport has a place that has been found (underground) that has been abandoned, or appeared to be, anyway. Some of you may know what I'm talking about. The whole underground government thing where kids ACTUALLY disappeared after going there. Yeah, I'm paranoid... Just another side story...

Canada is all right and the people are great, but it's so freaking cold up there...

So freaking cold? I wish it was colder here in Minnesota.

I'm so sick of our pansy @$$ govt. officials who are too afraid of making an impact so they let big business and illegal trade federations (RIAA, MPAA) trample us the citizens..

Vote Mtekk for president, 2028

I am a Canadian married to an American (living in Canada), and thus it would be a pretty easy matter for me to get a green card. When I applied for several jobs in the states after graduation, I was flabbergasted, becuase many of the companies asked for drug tests and credit checks.

CREDIT CHECKS?!? For an engineering job? Its not like I was running a bank or flying a freaking 747!!

You would never get away with that sh*t in Canada. I could not believe it. This highlights perfectly the corporate attitudes and relative power between the two countries.

And yes, it is friggin' cold up here. But you get used to it. Where my wife is from (Oklahoma) they have 45c temperatures in the summer. That scares the bejeesus out of me. So its all a matter of you're used to.

Vancouver has all the film jobs. Jack Valenti's idea that film crew jobs are jeopardized by piracy is laughable to union heads. Runaway production has caused all the editing and audio jobs to be relocated to Canada. My friend Don was Canadian and took his audio effects studio back up to Vancouver a few years ago--before the boom---and came scuttling back within a month. Editors know they will be working for 25% less than what they are accustomed to in Hollywood...

I don't even know how they can call it the Patriot Act.. there is nothing Patriotic about it! This has been coming for a long time I believe with all that's going on around us it's also just a matter of time where noone will have to worry about anything because there won't be anyone around to worry.

Here's more on what I was talking about (there's more things, but you'd have to search for Denver International Airport):

http://www.geocities.com/Baja/5692/

Trust me, nearly everything you can find on this airport having to do with coincidence or conspiracy is VERY interesting. For more on what I'm talking about, go search for stories about Montauk. (If anyone's interested.)

Damn you want it to be colder here in MN. I want to move somewhere warmer. Oh and f#@k the patriot act and anyone who supports it.

Yeah f#@k it up its stupid @$$!

Bush confirmed today everyone in the world is a terrorist.

Guilty till proven innocent is how the Pastry Act and our "legal" system works..

...oops i meant Patriot and i use "legal" very loosely.

If you like it now, should Bush get reelected we will have 4 more years of this situation, or worse!

Then it will take 10+ years in the courts and a whole lot of suing to straighten things out.

Ummm guys..I just had to log in and say..."Cold?"..what are you talking about? We're getting all the left over snow storms after they hit the US.

Its called, "Winter"...it doesn't get warmer or colder just because you cross some invisible border.

Posse Comitatus. Marshall Law. Overnight. Not years. Soon. Look deeper. It's out there. It's coming.

NC or anywhere in the deep south is nice.. Not too cold, not too warm.. Get some AC for the summer then you are set as far as that goes.. My thinking is that the south is kind of it's own country in a sense, yeah, kind of behind the times, but with the times comes shit like crappy jobs, low wages, and complete abuse of the political system. I'm sure everyone complains about where they live, but come to NY state, it's the worst place to live in America and I could literally give you about 2 dozen reasons not to live here but i'll spare you the details..

ok, I lied.. I need to rant... My top 20 reasons NY state SUCKS!

1. No Jobs
2. Low Paying Jobs
3. Poor Environment
4. Crappy Weather
5. Extremely High Property Taxes
6. Very Dirty and Ugly
7. Ban of smoking in all bars plus cigarettes cost 6 bucks a pack, luckily I don't smoke
8. Can't even purchase Ephedra (I use to use it before every work out)
9. Lack of School Funding
10. Rude People
11. Pot Holes like crazy
12. Can't lease a car in some cases due to the stupid laws
13. High Crime Rates
14. High Drug Trafficing
15. 6 months of snow
16. Nothing to do besides shovel snow and drink your balls off
17. Corrupt Representatives
18. Cops give you speeding tickets for going 3 miles over the speed limit because the state is strapped for cash
19. Blacklights, neon accessories, and most car mods are illegal
20. They tax you here on everything you could possibly think off.. How about paying 5,000 dollars a year on a house worth 80 grand a year
21. High Utility Bills
22. High Car insurance Rates
23..... The list continues with every day I live here too.. It's like a black hole that sucks you in and you can never escape...

In answer to the question, does Canada have the premiere animation school. That would be SoftImage. But Raleigh, NC has the hottest game school. See the NY Times from Thursday Dec. 4. I pointed out to George Z--"Look at this picture---21 year olds running the show. This should be what record label A&R departments should look like." Kick ass and take no prisoners.

NC be the place 2 be.

Do a search, using Google, for the New World Order and or the Illuminati. You will se what is really going in the world today.

No offense fallout-fan, but if you believe this then I think you maybe literally insane.. I can't debate with you about it, due to my lack of knowledge on the subject ( I admit it), but a New World Order conspiracy is completely unbelievable and makes little sense at all..

Justin42980- you sure have a lot of complaints. Maybe you should write your governor.

:-:~ Phantom

haha.. trust me, i'm usually a positive person, but when it comes to NY state there isn't anything that infuriates me more... Trust me, A LOT of people feel the same way.. I wish it were that simple, but writing the governor won't do much good.. What can ya do.. Looks like I'll be looking to relocate within a year or two..

Does anyone have any ideas on where a good place to live in the United States is? I like the south and west myself.. but hey, I haven't been out west so i have no clue how it compares to here.. Looks like I have to go out and explore the world..

The governor takes more money from the mob that the lobbying committee... From what I understand Bill O Reilly hates his with a passion. Him and the LT. governor...

Justin42980- move to Washington State. The climate is good, taxes aren't too bad, and we don't have smog. We're also one of the only places where you can go from boating on the ocean (Puget Sound, GREAT boating) to the mountains and fresh powder in one hour!!! Plus, we're home to Microsoft, amazon.com, Starbucks, Nintendo of America, Eddie Bauer....and so on.

We have plenty of military bases (Fort Lewis, McChord AFB, Whidbey Naval Air Station, Bremerton Naval Shipyards, Fairchild AFB, etc. -- so, in case of attack, our state is well protected.

Our mountains- the Cascades and the Olympics- are stunning and offer dozens of recreational opportunities.

We're also a big apple state. We have some desert in the east, along with the mighty columbia river.

Also- electricity is pretty cheap (hydropower) and Seattle's drinking water is consistently rated the BEST in the nation. Its tap water has been found to be better than many brands of bottled water.

Need to move? Swing into the Evergreen State....

:-:~ Phantom

"I'm cursed by being smart and reading up on stuff. That's what I blame for my paranoia. If I had never read anything, I wouldn't have these worries."

Undeath--
"Ignoragce is bliss."

It truly is, and I miss the days when I could go on without a care.

Chris- great article man...and great comments by one and all.
Nothing really to add, but two thumbs up on the comments of all.
~Code

dude thats some great stuff. I'm loving every bit of it. Right now I'm putting together a speech about filesharing and I am totally pro and I just had a debate on filesharing and my group won 16 votes to 2.
-Tim

Do you know where your rights are? They are under your BUTT on the couch you sit on ranting and raving and not doing ONE THING ABOUT IT. To have rights in this country, or anywhere, for that matter, ya gotta constantly WORK for them.. that's right folks. That means GETTING UP and getting the facts, supporting candidates, registering yourself, grouping with friends and folks with the same determination to change this garbage, pooling money, distributing literature, working in committees, marching in the streets, boycotting, and most importantly in the USA, VOTING!!!! Nothing.. nothing else is more effective, imho. Rights without the struggle to preserve them, even in supposed good times, will dissipate! PERIOD!!

Thanks for the tip Phantom Ghost. As a matter of fact I've done some research on Washington State and I've heard some good things about it. I like the climate, taxes and utilities seem reasonable, and business is far better than most states in Washington.. In response to someone elses comments about fighting for our rights.. There is only so much a human being can do in order to have the government that they want to represent them. I've voted for people who I thought would change this state for the better. I thought Hillary Clinton would be a great senator, but so far i'm a little dissapointed in the job she is doing. When a state government is as corrupt as New York one wonders if it is even worth fighting for. I've always tried to choose my fights wisely, but in this case it's like david taking on goliath except with reverse results..

.. i hear ya, Justin.. but the controllers of this country are counting on our cynicism to freeze us in fear and anger. Without hope for a better day, we are just living a Disney movie, ya know? .. it ain't real. If Hillary wasn't right, find another. And local politics are important, too. I don't know about you, but I got more time than money, and not much of either.. but I do know that the freedom you seek is within, and the place you are is just another dot on the map.. although you can search for a better place, true.. somewhere that fits better.. peace to you and good luck in your search. ailing:

... oops.. wrong emoticon.. try

good points indeed.. Thanks...

How can we possibly get people to stand up fo their rights?

Look at the bystander effect for example. A woman in New York City was being stabbed in the street and everyone was watching, expecting someone else to call, expecting someone else to do something. What happened was, no one called. No one did anything. The man who was stabbing the woman even came back for a second round to stab her some more, and yet they watched on. Not doing a dam thing.

People won't stand up for their rights because they think someone else will do it for them. That really scares me. I want to do something, but I don't know what I can do. I try to educate people online and around me, but no one wants to do anything.

The fact is, no one else is going to fight for our rights. We have to do it ourselves.

But the question is, what CAN we do?