“Throughout history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindfulness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.” Perhaps the author of this, Timothy Leary, was onto something many years ago. Some of us have probably known and agree with this. Others of us are just waking up to the idea that we have been unwittingly part of a programed thought process that has kept us in a simmering pot like a slow boiled frog.
If you are like me, the 1980s seems like yesterday. We were cell phone free and, sometimes, still got an opportunity to listen in on our neighbors’ conversations on the party line. That was your biggest risk for violations of personal privacy, although quite enough to create fodder amongst the gossip mill. Those simpler times were even more complicated than the 1950s and, quite frankly, I’d take anything over what we have today. We are the frogs in the slow boiling pot. We give away a little piece of ourself one data fragment at a time.
Every business wants your information… and we have been gladly handing it over for years. I remember the first time my local grocery store offered up a discount card in exchange for some personal information; i.e. income, address, age. I didn’t mind sharing a little demographic information with them in exchange for ten cents off my pancake mix. After all, I was a college student learning about the importance of demographics in marketing and had not woken up to what the future could hold. Since then, it is every store and every brand wanting additional information in exchange for the promise of something more wonderful and/or convenient. I even had one who wanted my social security number (I opted to go without discounts for that one). We are in a world that has trained us to freely give out personal information. Originally, it seemed fairly benign, but I think that car has driven off of a cliff. This was demonstrated, recently, in a TikTok video that showed people putting their arms out, without question, to have a lint roller rolled over them. I have nothing against lint rollers, but I feel like it might be a good idea to ask “why do you want me to do that?” before acquiescing to any possible violation of my personal space. Brain cells are on a rapid decline, and it is time we opt out.
June 2023, I entered into the security line of BWI airport (Baltimore Washington International Airport) to ensure that I wasn’t at risk of hijacking a plane that day. Although recently, I did get caught trying to smuggle a $6 bottle of water onto a plane in Panama that almost caused an international incident… I am a very dangerous person…but I digress…. Back to Baltimore, I noticed that the security guard asked each person to stand and get their picture taken after scanning the passport. There were no questions asked, no information given, people were just told to stand and get the picture taken. I found this odd as I saw no notices and had never seen this before. I asked the guard if I could opt-out and with a big grin, the guard said absolutely. That was a wake-up call.
Coming back into the country and dealing with customs, the same situation happened. I again asked, “can I opt-out?” The security guard was a bit disgruntled but she responded “yes, but it will take a few extra minutes.” And then I realized “There it is!” In the beginning, we have the option to opt out, but the option seems to turn into something that is mandatory that we follow without question. So what are the pictures being used for? The answer, biometrics. According to dictionary.com, biometrics are “the automated recognition of individuals by means of unique physical characteristics, typically for the purposes of security.” This is just a small step towards the automation of nearly everything. You want a peak into the future of America, look at China and ESG otherwise known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG). It is a set of standards for a company’s behavior used by socially conscious stakeholders. While I am not going to take a nose dive down this rabbit hole, the information we are freely giving will be turned on us. You may not have an issue with the person/entity viewing your “profile” today, but that same information could be used against you when that person/entity deems you to be a threat, simply because you disagree with their views on anything from vaccinations to climate change to your preferred candidate for political office.
Let us look at something more familiar. How many people walk into a doctor’s office or hospital and sign the electronic pad without even knowing what is on the screen? How many of those same people also know that you have just signed away some of your ability to make medical decisions for yourself placing your decision making in the hands of a hospital. It is not the doctor making the decisions, it’s the administration of the hospital deciding the standard of care that will be applied to you whether necessary or not. The same people who are willing to medically castrate a child are the same people deciding what will happen with your body that day. I’m betting you might look at that “sign here” information a little more closely once you think about that! I certainly did.
In the name of convenience, we are giving away our freedoms. If no person would have walked into a store with a mask, no store would have required them. It is time to be aware, say no, ask to opt-out, even if it is uncomfortable. We have to question because our freedom is at stake.
We must think about our possible loss of freedom with every signature, rewards points in exchange for information and photo identification we provide. Pennsylvania Senator Doug Mastriano established his “Walk as free people” movement and message. Maybe there’s a whole lot more to that than a slogan on a t-shirt. It needs to be our way of life as Americans. We, together, have the power. Don’t lose it.
Harrisburg100 
Whatever happens next, DO NOT COMPLY!
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