Getting tagged by Big Brother
I got fingerprinted last night for work. I'm assuming it's standard practice for employees who might be working with children. I don't know. They didn't exactly explain why we needed to participate, just told us when to show up.
It wasn't exactly the right situation for me to explain that I am extremely opposed to being tagged by the government. 1. I don't think they'd understand when I started saying stuff like, "I just don't like it, ok??" and 2. It's probably a requirement to work here.
It's probably a moral stance, not wanting my fingerprints to go on record, because I really doubt I'm the sort of person who would ever be involved with crime so my prints could be used to track me down.
I just wanted to go through life being fairly anonymous. I have friends who have FBI files just because they travelled across the country to protest the School of the Americas. It makes me livid that expressing your [what amendment? There's got to be an amendment.] right to protest would catch the notice of the fucking FBI so they could keep an eye on you.
I think it's bullshit.
It wasn't exactly the right situation for me to explain that I am extremely opposed to being tagged by the government. 1. I don't think they'd understand when I started saying stuff like, "I just don't like it, ok??" and 2. It's probably a requirement to work here.
It's probably a moral stance, not wanting my fingerprints to go on record, because I really doubt I'm the sort of person who would ever be involved with crime so my prints could be used to track me down.
I just wanted to go through life being fairly anonymous. I have friends who have FBI files just because they travelled across the country to protest the School of the Americas. It makes me livid that expressing your [what amendment? There's got to be an amendment.] right to protest would catch the notice of the fucking FBI so they could keep an eye on you.
I think it's bullshit.
posted by LE at 6:48 AM
6 Comments:
I tend to think of fingerprinting more for safety and security reasons moreso than "tagging." You work in a semi-dangerous field. Crimes have happened. They may need to keep records to distinguish sets of prints in case something were to happen...which, I hope never happens.
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i too have been tagged. :) when i worked for CPS. kt
Ellie, I agree with Megan that's it's probably more for safety reasons than "tagging." I really hope a situation never arises where they need to use your fingerprint file, but I understand the need for it.
Also, protesting falls under the First Amendment/Free Speech:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
I guess the safety issue never even occurred to me--while I'm busy being miffed with Tim for festooning the car in bumper stickers so you can recognize it a mile off. In a city as small as this one, some invisibility would be good--considering how often now I'm going to court with clients and showing my face to abusers.
I understand the safety issue. And I understand being miffed at Tim for the stickers.
I'm the one who would never take the bus to court, out of fear and out of the want to be able to drive away whenever I wanted. I never wanted to have to stand out in the open on a corner after court.
My stance on that has changed, but I still understand the safety aspect of it all.
Kelli
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