Totalitarianism in America
Dear Senator Bennet,
I am Justin M. Carlson and I reside at 3510 Earl St. in Durango, Colorado. I am a Freshman at Animas High school.
Today, I am writing to you about Totalitarianism in the United States. In class we have learned about Dystopian and Totalitarianism states from a book with the name of Brave New World. In Brave New World we humans have created a totalitarian dystopia. Humans are kept content with everyday life by a drug known as Soma. This Soma will take you on an Unconscious journey or vacation. These vacations can go on for weeks. These people are handed all of their pleasures and the environment is always made comfortable. When an environment is uncomfortable they take some Soma. Their ignorance is the government’s strengths. The government in this book controls everything. After reading this book I have found some flaws with our Country.
I believe that this Country is moving towards a totalitarian state. I believe this because some of our amendments and protections taken from the Bill of Rights are being violated, if this country keeps violating our rights we will be part of a totalitarian state.
This country violates our Fourth Amendment many ways, some of these violations are small and will not be accounted for today. The Fourth Amendment is the inalienable right to search and seizure. There are two main violations I have in mind. This is how cell phones can be used to gain private information from citizens and about the backscatter mobile x-rays used by law enforcement and TSA.
I have found that many law enforcement agencies have been tracking cell phones for many years. To track a cell phone you need a warrant. The ACLU has gained over 5,000 pages of records showing that more than 200 different law agencies are tracking cell phones. They do this routinely. When every agency was asked if they had tracked cell phones only 10 agencies stated that they didn’t. Most agencies approach with different standards. But with most all of these standards only a few agencies are filling out warrants. They have started to do what the federal government has and has decided to obtain data without a warrant. Is this not a violation of our Bill of Rights?
Today, Law enforcement agencies are using Mobile backscatter scanners. Mobile backscatter scanners are x-rays that are made by AS&E. These x-rays can search cars, vans, busses, cargo, buildings and people. Backscatters have become popular with TSA. TSA is using them at our borders to see if people are smuggling weapons, drugs or people into American borders. With more than 500 of these machines sold U.S. and Foreign government agencies are now using these machines. Backscatters have found 7 unregistered aliens in the United States alone. They have also found 4 million dollars’ worth in narcotics after proper safety checks. These x-rays are proving pretty helpful.
Backscatter scanners are lifesaving machines. With scanning cargo and checking vehicles crossing into American borders for threats they can be lifesavers. Even though these backscatters are lifesaving they are sometimes used illegally. When using a backscatter you need a warrant or probable cause. When searching a person or a vehicle at high speeds many other objects can get caught up in those rays. If the backscatter scans an object that isn’t warranted it is unlawful due to the Fourth Amendment. People could be arrested if they are searched without a warrant. Than an officer might plead probable cause for whatever reason he or she was arrested for. Stationary backscatters are also used as security check points for companies. Isn’t having people and their vehicles searched before going to work every single day against the Fourth Amendment? This is wrong and violates our privacy and violates the protection given to us by the Fourth Amendment.
In this country we are meant to believe in freedom. This freedom is what separates us from Totalitarianism. If our Fourth Amendment protections are being thrown down and slowly torn apart won’t we eventually have other Amendments taken, forgotten and unacknowledged slowly? Than once all of these Amendments are gone we will be in a totalitarian dystopia. Should we allow our Country to be turned into Brave New World and have the government monitor us daily? They are somewhat starting to do so without obtaining warrants for searching your phone and self. If this world is like BNW our government will know what we are doing every second of the day. With this world the word privacy will have no meaning.
Sir I am contacting you because I believe that we should have Americans be better well protected by the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment needs to be respected for the Fourth Amendment is keeping us a good distance away from a Totalitarian State.
Respectfully Yours,
Justin M. Carlson
I am Justin M. Carlson and I reside at 3510 Earl St. in Durango, Colorado. I am a Freshman at Animas High school.
Today, I am writing to you about Totalitarianism in the United States. In class we have learned about Dystopian and Totalitarianism states from a book with the name of Brave New World. In Brave New World we humans have created a totalitarian dystopia. Humans are kept content with everyday life by a drug known as Soma. This Soma will take you on an Unconscious journey or vacation. These vacations can go on for weeks. These people are handed all of their pleasures and the environment is always made comfortable. When an environment is uncomfortable they take some Soma. Their ignorance is the government’s strengths. The government in this book controls everything. After reading this book I have found some flaws with our Country.
I believe that this Country is moving towards a totalitarian state. I believe this because some of our amendments and protections taken from the Bill of Rights are being violated, if this country keeps violating our rights we will be part of a totalitarian state.
This country violates our Fourth Amendment many ways, some of these violations are small and will not be accounted for today. The Fourth Amendment is the inalienable right to search and seizure. There are two main violations I have in mind. This is how cell phones can be used to gain private information from citizens and about the backscatter mobile x-rays used by law enforcement and TSA.
I have found that many law enforcement agencies have been tracking cell phones for many years. To track a cell phone you need a warrant. The ACLU has gained over 5,000 pages of records showing that more than 200 different law agencies are tracking cell phones. They do this routinely. When every agency was asked if they had tracked cell phones only 10 agencies stated that they didn’t. Most agencies approach with different standards. But with most all of these standards only a few agencies are filling out warrants. They have started to do what the federal government has and has decided to obtain data without a warrant. Is this not a violation of our Bill of Rights?
Today, Law enforcement agencies are using Mobile backscatter scanners. Mobile backscatter scanners are x-rays that are made by AS&E. These x-rays can search cars, vans, busses, cargo, buildings and people. Backscatters have become popular with TSA. TSA is using them at our borders to see if people are smuggling weapons, drugs or people into American borders. With more than 500 of these machines sold U.S. and Foreign government agencies are now using these machines. Backscatters have found 7 unregistered aliens in the United States alone. They have also found 4 million dollars’ worth in narcotics after proper safety checks. These x-rays are proving pretty helpful.
Backscatter scanners are lifesaving machines. With scanning cargo and checking vehicles crossing into American borders for threats they can be lifesavers. Even though these backscatters are lifesaving they are sometimes used illegally. When using a backscatter you need a warrant or probable cause. When searching a person or a vehicle at high speeds many other objects can get caught up in those rays. If the backscatter scans an object that isn’t warranted it is unlawful due to the Fourth Amendment. People could be arrested if they are searched without a warrant. Than an officer might plead probable cause for whatever reason he or she was arrested for. Stationary backscatters are also used as security check points for companies. Isn’t having people and their vehicles searched before going to work every single day against the Fourth Amendment? This is wrong and violates our privacy and violates the protection given to us by the Fourth Amendment.
In this country we are meant to believe in freedom. This freedom is what separates us from Totalitarianism. If our Fourth Amendment protections are being thrown down and slowly torn apart won’t we eventually have other Amendments taken, forgotten and unacknowledged slowly? Than once all of these Amendments are gone we will be in a totalitarian dystopia. Should we allow our Country to be turned into Brave New World and have the government monitor us daily? They are somewhat starting to do so without obtaining warrants for searching your phone and self. If this world is like BNW our government will know what we are doing every second of the day. With this world the word privacy will have no meaning.
Sir I am contacting you because I believe that we should have Americans be better well protected by the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment needs to be respected for the Fourth Amendment is keeping us a good distance away from a Totalitarian State.
Respectfully Yours,
Justin M. Carlson