Charles R. Smith
Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003

Beware of the privacy snatchers, for they will destroy our Constitution and smash our lives. The snatchers will peek into your bedroom, look over your shoulders and read your mail.

The discovery of two video cameras and a recording system hidden on Michael Jackson's chartered jet is a clear example of the full-scale invasion under way in America.

The videotape of Michael Jackson during his jet flight to California is simply outrageous. The charter company's denial that it did not know the cameras were onboard is nothing less than ridiculous because the denial came after the same company tried to peddle the tapes to the highest bidder.

It no surprise that the FBI has taken custody of the tapes. In today's post-9/11 environment, it is not unreasonable for the FBI to ask the jet charter company a simple question: If it was unaware of the two cameras and recording system, then what else has flown on its jets?

The rule of "get any story at any price" should be dead but instead, like a zombie, it lives on to destroy the innocent. Princess Di was hounded to her death by the predator press. Who shall be next?

Senate Computer Files

While the entertainment media strive to cover each story with the accuracy of a Hollywood gossip columnist, the political beat is also filled with fresh road kill.

Senate Judiciary Chair Orrin Hatch has recently faced the privacy snatchers head on and had to blink because one turned out to be inside the Republican Party. Hatch has put one of his top staffers on leave after it was discovered that he might have illegally penetrated Democrat computers.

The staffer is accused of leaking Democrat memos to the press outlining their strategy to block judicial nominations. Investigators have given daily backup tapes of computer accesses to the Capitol police for investigation.

It is amazing that the Senate computer systems are capable of storing backup tapes. I note this curious feature so familiar to the rest of the data processing world because the previous residents of the White House managed to create a fantastic and very expensive computer system that somehow had no backup features.

White House E-mail

Thus, Vice President Al Gore, computer whiz and now a member of the Apple Corporation, managed to erase over two years of e-mail. Of course, just by coincidence the e-mail just happened to involve possible campaign donation violations and would have been critical as evidence.

It is no surprise that Al Gore recently accused the Bush White House of violating our national privacy with the Patriot Act. While the effect of the Patriot Act upon American privacy is debatable, the former vice president should be able to recognize a violation of privacy from miles away. Gore once championed a secret effort to bug every phone in the United States.

However, like every good secret plan, it just isn't a secret until it is leaked to someone. Al Gore's "Clipper" chip plan was eventually leaked to the press, resulting in widespread outrage from privacy advocates. The Clipper project, a multibillion-dollar bugging effort, was killed by its own leak.

Still, the most brilliant part of Al Gore's Clipper plan was that the backdoor keys for the electronic bugs were to be placed into the safe hands of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and Deputy Attorney General Webster Hubbell.

Brown later died in a plane crash and Hubbell resigned to spend time in jail for bilking his Rose office clients. It is no surprise that Hillary Clinton's book "Living History" says very little about her relationship with Ron Brown and Webster Hubbell.

Chinese Gestapo Agents

Yet the most egregious violations of privacy on U.S. soil are often not committed by the U.S. government or even U.S. citizens. For example, China has engaged in a covert effort to monitor and harass U.S. citizens on American soil.

In its paranoid pursuit of the Falun Gong spiritual movement the government of the People’s Republic of china has sent its counter-intelligence operatives to the U.S. for some fun and games. Falun Gong members have had their homes broken into and vandalized, their computers bugged and their phone conversations taped by Chinese agents on U.S. soil.

Falun Gong protesters have been videotaped or photographed by Chinese agents and are later picked out for physical attacks. Falun Gong members have documented incidents in Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Members have been beaten or threatened by individuals who emerged from Chinese embassies or consulates.

The overt act by the communist government in carrying its oppressive policies to U.S. shores is illegal and a violation of international diplomatic law. Whether the FBI will investigate these violations without ruffling diplomatic feathers in Foggy Bottom or Beijing is not a consideration.

The fact remains that Chinese oppression has left its shores and is now present on our streets. The real question here is what are we going to do about it?

Many Americans will take pause this holiday season to celebrate a wide variety of religious faiths. We also celebrate our freedom of religion, of free speech and of privacy because the laws of our nation protect us. No American should be left unprotected.

Charles Smith will be on:

The American Freedom Network on Friday, 11/28/03, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Show information at http://www.amerifree.com.

The Jerry Hughes show on Friday, 11/28/03, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Show information at http://www.cilamerica.com.

The Phil Paleologos "American Breakfast" show on Tuesday, 12/02/03, the Langer Broadcast Network, at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Show information at www.dinershow.com.

Editor's note:
Harry Wu reveals the real China – Click Here Now

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Al Gore
China/Taiwan
Privacy