Does Dignity Have Cookies?

As many of you know, and many of you don't, I had a little tangle with the law (also known as, "The Man") a couple of years ago. I'm not comfortable with sharing the details, but it had something to do with an unwise act with a public telephone. Despite my having done it, I adamantly maintain my innocence. Regardless of that, I've been on probation for a couple of years now. As of April 2006, that will be over and I won't have to report to a probation officer once a month.

It will be a bittersweet time for me, as I've developed an affinity for being watched by the criminal justice system. Well, perhaps not, but there is something so degrading about the whole affair that I feel as if it is good training for the police state currently under construction by the Bush Administration. And every month, over the past two years, I have used my cable bill as proof of my current address. I can't help by be amused that my parole officer knows that I rented, "Devil's Rejects" and "March of the Penguins" in the same week. He had to have noticed that on my bill, I know I did. It compelled me into a mode of deep introspection that has yet to abate.

But I don't really care what my parole officer thinks of my taste in movies. That is a moon-cast shadow compared to the anxiety and concern I feel regarding the attempt by some in the government to find out what people like myself are searching for on Google. Yes, the scope of the government's request is very limited, mainly to children and pornography. But it's only a matter of time before They are monitoring what each and every one of us are doing on the Internet. I don't like that, because some of the stuff I do on the 'net isn't exactly a source of pride. How can I defend my searching for "Al-Jazeera" one day, and the chick who plays the receptionist on, "The Office" the next?

And that is just scratching the surface. I'm not sure why, but over the years I've searched for fart noises, porno bloopers, gambling, Edith Piaf, marijuana recipes, ex girlfriends, and fainting goats.

And again, we're just scratching the surface.

I'm getting ahead of myself, as Google is the least of my concerns when it comes to personal privacy and civil liberties. The White House (actually, the people in it) have told us not to worry, that only overseas phone calls are possibly being tapped by the NSA. I don't know why that is supposed to make me relax. I have friends in France, England, and Canada. How can I rail against the Bush Regime with my friends across the sea, particularly France? I just know that they're bugging my calls to France. I'm just glad that I don't know anyone in Pakistan. Although my Russian friend who now lives in London did spend some time in Pakistan. Is it legal to tap his phone calls to the US, given that he spent some time in the place that Osama bin Laden probably calls home? I don't know...I don't think anyone does, as "legal" isn't a consideration.

I fuck around with one phone and I get two years probation. Bush fucks around with thousands of phones, and we're supposed to thank him for protecting us. I thought the rule of law applied to everyone in our fair republic? Apparently not...it's good to be the King!