The Billion Dollar Book

Surveillance Cameras Saves Lives
So What

At the beginning of the film, Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith, you heard the words to this effect (I’m paraphrasing now). “Did you know how many lives were saved last year ?” (Referring to the use of surveillance cameras.)



This was said by a man who looked like he is the real power behind the politicians.

The senator responded with words to this effect: “I don’t want cameras recording my every move.”

The conversation was something that probably happens many times in the US, the UK and Canada unfortunately. The liberal would say something like, “Did you know that the surveillance cameras saved 1,220 lives last year…bla, bla, bla.”

Yea, sure. First there are two things wrong with this.

Government figures are usually lies, especially when it supports their agenda. So the numbers are wrong. But even if it was correct, I say…

“So what!”

Now this might sound callous, but let me explain, which is getting into the second thing that is wrong with “about saving lives”.

If we took the same attitude about the justification of having cameras on every street corner (now in your homes with modern-day computer screens), then we would never have any technological progress.

What is someone said to Henry Ford, “You know Mr. Ford, we should not make cars, because with the speed that they go, people can get hurt and even killed. Why in 30 years from now, thousands can be killed on our highways. So, let’s keep with the horse and buggy.”

Henry Ford and 99.99 percent of the other people would think that this person is crazy.

It is unfortunate that about 40,000 or more get killed on the highways in the US, and of course, much more world-wide, but that is the price you have to pay.

There are probably over a 1,000 things that man has made that others have gotten killed or injured with—anything from hammers and electric hand drills, to rat poison and gas ovens.

I want to make clear I am concerned about saving innocent lives; put there is a limit to what you can do. You certainly don’t want to return to the Stone Age, but then here again, people got killed with the tools that were used to build homes—the old stone hammer, and knife made with a sharpened stone.

It simply is not worth having cameras (and microphones) recording your every move and every conversation. It’s not the State’s business and they have no right to do this (laws don’t make it a right, either).

More people will be going to jail, or paying a fine for some infraction of the law. And in fact, many are sitting in prison because of some mix up of identity.

What about the people being killed by our cops and soldiers—don’t they count? Remember, they are just doing their “duty”!

There will always be people getting mugged and killed, unfortunately. If the government and society really wanted to reduce this type of crime, and not give lip service to it, they can change the laws. We should have laws and teachings in our schools and churches that taught for a moral society.

Some of you older folks remember the time when it was safe to walk the streets at night; where you could leave your home unlocked and do your shopping in town. IF someone was mugged or raped, it made headline news (because such occurrence was extremely rare).

Let’s return to those days in when America could truthfully be said to be a great country. And if you live in another country and read this, your country can return to a ‘golden age’, too.