Happy Mother's Day

My Son Cares About Me, The Media Does Not

My son called me early this morning to wish me a Happy Mother's Day and we will have dinner together this evening.
Mother's Day is a day for phone calls. That means the government might be able to link your number to your mothers. Horrors!


I recall having given my phone number to the government for the Do Not Call listing. I have also given my phone number to my Senators and Representative. Verizon has records of all my calls be it on land line or cell phone. Often when I order something on line, my phone number is requested. It is in the local phone book. Occasionally someone misdials and ends up calling me.

In view of the above, I have never believed that my phone number was protected information. If the government computers screen the numerous connections made to my phone, it is of no consequence since I do not have contact with terrorists and could care less if someone knows which numbers I call or which numbers call me. Many phones have caller ID which gives them my phone number. If for some reason the government actually listened to my conversations, they would be very bored.


The IRS, on the other hand really gets nosey. They want to know how much income I have, the source of the income and how it is spent. My credit card company gets a copy of where I spend my money. My grocery store keeps track of every item I buy and I am identified by the stores discount card. My internet service can trace all of the sites I visit and the addresses of those people I Email. My postman, FedEx and UPS know where and when I purchase something. The United States Postal Service asks for a detailed account of what is in packages I mail to our troops. My bank knows a lot of detail about how I spend my money. I was fingerprinted as part of an employment procedure. My hospital and physician have information about my health history. My neighbors know when I leave my house and what time I return. My satellite company tracks my TV viewing habits. Spammers search for my internet address so Nigerians can solicit my help in dealing with their millions of dollars.

My thoughts are about the only thing that I can keep free of others knowing and even they are revealed through my speech, my blog and my body language.

The thing that really upsets me about the NSA surveillance procedures is that the Media seem unable to refrain from advertising, hyping and criticizing my government's attempts to protect me and other citizens from future attacks on our nation. The unrelenting attempt to find some error of judgment or action by the administration that is tasked with protecting us actually informs our enemies more than it serves the citizens. My safety is far more imperiled by the media than it is by NSA.