4 • The Clackamas Print • May 21, 2003
The
Clackamas
Print Providing Security vs. Right to Privacy
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ext. 2578
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Video surveillance cameras
help protect the innocent
/Approximately
/Approximately 15 students’ cars
“There’s 12 months in the year,
were vandalized in the parking lot
that’s six months to stay out of my
between Gregory Forum and Randall
business, and six months to leave me
... alone.” - Trick Daddy, rap artist.
jjjlllCyndee Mady Hall on February 1 of this year.
Nic Delzell
Had security cameras been monitor
Opinion Editor
The fourth amendment protects
Staff Writer
ing these locations, Public Safety
every American’s right to privacy.
might have acquired valuable leads
The overuse of surveillance cameras
that could have led to an arrest. At the very best, the cameras might have
violates every American’s right to privacy.
acted as a deterrent to the deviants who inflicted thousnds of dollars in dam
I’m not a criminal. I don’t expect to be treated like one—no one does. We
ages and countless hours of aggravation to the individuals whose property
may be completely different from each other, but if we don’t trust each other’s
was vandalized and stolen.
basic right to privacy then we are disrespecting each other’s dignity.
This incident was not isolated, as there have been prior and subsequent car
Insecurity and lack of knowledge provide the need for surveillance cameras.
break-ins. While campus security provides satisfactory coverage, they can
Governments, private citizens and businesses use surveil
not be in all places at all times. Surveillance cameras would fill in the gaps.
lance cameras to hate and discriminate as well as
The tragic events of Sept. 11 evoked consciousness to America’s lack of
invade our basic right to privacy. Keeping our nation
security and brought an end to a mentality that harbored indestructibility. /
secure is the only valid reason to videotape people’s
As a result, increased security measures were activated in government/ i
lives. However, if security personnel were properly
buildings, public transportation facilities, stadiums, tourist attractions and ,
trained and carried out their jobs, surveillance cameras
- various other potential terrorist targets.
would be archaic. Is society that dependent on technological
Many people have emulated some of
aid?
these safety measures on a much smaller, but
The relationship between technology
nonetheless effective, scale. Americans can
and human nature creates a conflict. If
easily and affordably protect their assets at
observers are watching a surveillance cam
home or office with today’s advanced sur
era, but only pick one person out of every five
veillance equipment.
people to scrutinize, how can they stay objec
Sure, hit-and-run drivers, shoplifters
tive? Four other people got by without notice.
and child abusers will object to being inad
Why does anyone have to know what
vertently “caught” on tape, but upstanding
I’m doing? The only people who need to
citizens should be grateful for the protec
know what’s up with me are my friends and
tion cameras provide and the added assis
loved ones. It’s not right to “select” random
tance in identifying perpetrators after an
people to star in surveillance videos.
offense has been committed.
If the greatest natioirin the world is
Remember Madelyne Gorman Toogood,
truly free, we need to stop assuming and stop
who was seen on the news last year beating
videotaping people we don’t know. Trusting
her four-year-old child in a department
innocent people to make the right decisions
store parking lot? She was charged with
will end this debate. Properly detaining those
felony battery to a child and received a
who foul up will help discourage crime.
American Civil Llberties union
three-year maximum prison sentence, all due to the magic of video surveil SADIE M c C arthy Ciackamos Print-
lance equipment.
reports that Michigan law enforcement used surveillance cameras as a way to
More recently, a concerned mother was perplexed by her handicapped
make threats against motorists and stalk women. Surveillance cameras can’t
child’s erratic behavior and set out to find the cause. She packed a running
be used to deter crime, or fhake choices for people. Criminals are going to do
tape recorder in her son’s backpack, and was shocked by what she heard at
what they do regardless of whether a surveillance camera is watching.
the end of the day. Her son was enduring mental and physical abuse at the
People who are different stand out - is that wrong? American citizens
hand of the bus driver. Again, surveillance cameras would have saved this
shouldn’t have to keep a low profile because they have a camera mounted
helpless child from his attacker.
over them.
Americans should be willing to sacrifice a portion of their privacy in
It’s garbage to assume without knowing. Didn’t your mama tell you it’s
exchange for securing their safety. It is a small price to pay for the enormous
impolite to point your finger at someone? Surveillance cameras point, fingers
benefits that will result from adding an extra set of eyes to the picture.
that record, violating everyone’s basic freedoms.
Coffee cup dilemma brews perfect solution
And now, the moment you’ve all
been waiting for.
At the beginning of the term I
promised to discuss the issues that
are of utmost concern to college stu
dents, including those paper things
they put on coffee cups to keep them
from burning your hands but make it
impossible for them to fit in the cup
holder in your car.
I have discovered two tactics that
can combat this problem. One is to
refrain from using the “insulating
sleeve” (that’s the official name of
this troublesome device, but for per
Student Poll
- Justin Miracle -
"I think that surveil
lance cameras are a
necessary evil to
protect the inno
cent."
Video surveillance cameras
violate our basic freedoms
- Sarah Iverson -
"Anywhere public, you
probably shouldn't be
doing something private
anyway, so we might as
well have them."
sonal reasons I will most likely con
tinue to refer to them as those paper
things they put on coffee cups).
To use this tactic, simply memo
rize this simple phrase: “Please do
not put one of those paper things on
my coffee cup.” In most cases, save
a few of the more...eccentric coffee
shops around town (we all know of
at least one), the person who pre
pares your beverage for you will
most likely respond to this phrase by
not putting one of those paper things
on your coffee cup. Of course, if you
use this tactic you must accept the
possibility that you could bum your
hand on the cup.
The second tactic is to learn to
drive with coffee in your hand, or
(more often) with it wedged between
your legs. This is also useful advice
for people who do not have cup hold
ers in their vehicles, like myself. Of
course, this also introduces the likeli
hood of spilling coffee on the part of
your attire that is the least desirable
area to sport any sort of liquid.
Holding the coffee in hand does
decrease the incidence of spills, but
increases the possibility of getting in
an accident, which, as we all know,
will basically end in wasting your
entire cup of coffee.
So what is the answer? you ask.
None of these solutions are perfect;
all could end in burnt fingers,
embarrassing stains or death.
Well for once, my answer is not
“Well, I have no idea.” I have the
solution to this one. As a person who
cannot hold an intelligible conversa
tion before drinking coffee I know a
thing or two about how to get around
with a cup of caffeine in tow.
Buy your own cup! Find one
made of plastic, steel, or any materi
al that provides its own insulation,
and consequently does not require
one of those paper things. The lids
on these ingenious devices usually
fit tightly, which prevents spilling,
and many of them even have fea
tures that allow you to seal the hole
that the coffee comes out of tem
porarily. There are several models
that are built to fit in cup holders,
and they are also safe to wedge
between the legs. Countless other
perks come with owning your own
portable beverage container, like
cheaper coffee, more trees, etc., but
those will have to be discussed
another time.
How do you feel about the use of
surveillance cameras in public places?
- Michael Curry -
- Kamie Thrall -
"I think it's important
that we find a balance
between invasion of
privac/ and protecting
our safety."
"I feel that having
our actions recorded
is a breach of our
constitutional rights."
- Ethan Brown
"This idea that peopl
need cameras every
where ¡ust simply
fuels the fire of para
noia in this country."