The right of the people to be secure in
their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place
to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
--Amendment IV of the U.S.
Constitution
The recent revelations of Edward Snowden,
exposing documentary material evidence of massive and pervasive unlawful,
unconstitutional government domestic spying and surveillance is hardly a news
flash, at least among those of us who have dedicated our time and efforts over
decades to issuing warnings of such abuses and engaging in activism to rein in
Big Government tyranny.
Upon hearing of this latest scandal , my first
thought was: So, what else is new? As if this is not a known fact of life in the
U.S. of A.? However, given the mainstream media firestorm of controversy
generated, making this issue one the general populace cannot ignore, it can no
longer be relegated to the realm of "conspiracy theories", but has been
established as conspiracy fact.
As for Edward Snowden, I will leave the
readers to draw their own conclusions about his credibility, motives, sincerity, etc.
--and whether or not there is more going on here than meets the eye-- or if, as
often happens when the intelligence community is involved, the situation is not
as it seems.
And let's not forget the mainstream media, owned lock, stock and
barrel by Big Government vested interests, which has become a profession of
prostitutes and shills. Does anyone really believe that the truth is being
reported by the clowns featured as "news anchors" or "reporters" in this
media circus? The "alternative" media, staffed heavily by controlled
opposition, is not much different.
As always, the Big Debate arises in
response to the situation. People are polarized into two
camps:
Some see Snowden as a heroic whistleblower; others
consider him a criminal and traitor. But analyzing these opinions
(for they are no more than that), or Mr. Snowden himself, is not the purpose of
this report. Rather, I am going straight to the heart of the matter, addressing
the pathological mentality, the views, the core values, the beliefs, the
opinions, the ideologies, of those who would allow or support these
monstrous invasions of privacy; and of those who are direct participants in
violating the privacy and personal boundaries of
others.
PRIVACY: A GOD-GIVEN
RIGHT
Privacy is a God-given unalienable right,
"protected" and "guaranteed" under the U.S. Constitution. Privacy cannot be
removed from the equation of Liberty. Respect for the privacy and personal
boundaries of others is a moral imperative, a principle to be fiercely and
uncompromisingly defended.
Privacy, like all rights, is an INDIVIDUAL
right (just as "we the people" are individuals, rather than a
collective), not to be lawfully violated by the government; and which will
never be violated by any person of principle, honor and
integrity.
As for the government bureaucrats,
they always have a long list of ready excuses at hand, the reasons they claim
their violations of unalienable rights are justified. Since 9-11, the excuse has
been "The War on Terror", which in reality has never been anything more than a
contrivance. How convenient that their objectives of waging "wars"
(undeclared by Congress) of aggression against nations who have not atttacked
the United States; and turning our own country into a police state reminiscent
of Nazi Germany, or Bolshevik Russia (another war of aggression, against their
own people) are so well served. But the bottom line is this: You cannot justify
the unjustifiable, nor do the ends ever justify the means, when the rights of
even one person are being violated.
Consider the word "invasion". It is defined
by an act of aggression, whereby one person or entity willfully oversteps,
intrudes, trespasses, and thereby violates the rights of another, or a group of
others.
But such violations are not solely the
province of a corrupt and tyrannical government. Any government is comprised of
individuals, and so is the general populace. Each and every individual
is responsible for his own actions, and should be held accountable for his
transgressions; and they certainly will be, by any self-respecting person with
a spine, a love of Liberty, and a set of uncompromising principles by which they
live.
The right to privacy is paramount in
maintaining individual sovereignty, and defending privacy has always been one of
my most important personal crusades. From my perspective,
I don't care if it's the government invading my privacy, or just a garden
variety busybody. The basic issue is the same, as are the attitudes and mindset
of the violator.
At the core of this issue is a
profound lack of respect for the rights of others --but before you can develop
a healthy respect for another's rights, you need to firstly acknowledge them,
which these violaters simply refuse to do. Whether it's the government meddling
in foreign affairs (witness the United Nations, the busybodies of the known
world) or the private lives of its own citizens; or the do-gooder busybody
meddling in the private lives of friends, family or even strangers, it is the
attitude of NO RESPECT which is at the root of the
problem.
It is important to understand that these
snoops, meddlers, gossips, snitches (as a general description,
"busybodying") all share a form of psychopathology, no matter how small, or how
great the offense. People who violate the rights of others will usually tell you
that they are engaging in this behavior because they "care", out of "love", or
"kindness". But in truth there is a compulsion operating within
them by which they are deluded into believing that they know what is "best" for
others, and so have the "right" to act on that belief, without the permission
(and often without the knowledge) of the
other person(s).
Make no mistake: this behavior is nothing
less than an act of aggression, and it's all about POWER and CONTROL. It's
called tyranny and is not to be tolerated. The do-gooder busybodies, the
government snoops, the "concerned" parties who presume to tell you what is
"best" for you, or what is for the "greater good", are all at heart tyrants with
a compulsion to interfere in the lives of others; to usurp your God-given right
to self-determination; to choose for yourself, to decide for yourself, to live
as you see fit, as long as you are not violating the rights of others. That is
what Individual Liberty is all about.
If you don't believe me, just see what
happens when you confront one of these violators and tell them in no uncertain
terms that their behavior is unacceptable; that they have crossed your clearly
drawn line in the sand; that they have overstepped their bounds; that their
meddling, their violations of personal confidences, their gossip in putting YOUR
business in the street, appointing themselves as unwanted intermediaries,
matchmakers, deal-brokers, or Town Criers, without so much as a by-your-leave
from you.
Typically, instead of acknowledging that
their behavior is wrongful and unprincipled, instead of apologizing, they will
attempt to justify their intrusive, indiscreet and disrespectful behavior. They
will become defensive and angry with you and attempt to twist your
very reasonable objection to their violations of your privacy, your personal
boundaries, your very God-given rights and liberties, into a convoluted power
struggle. When all you are doing is defending YOUR rights, making it clear that
it is not their place, not their prerogative, not their business, not their
concern, to interfere in YOUR life, in an way, shape or
form.
This unprincipled behavior wreaks havoc in
the lives of everyone involved. Busybodies stir up a world of trouble, simply
because they refuse to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and leave others in peace to tend
to theirs.
Barbara Hartwell
Percival
Defender of Personal Privacy &
Individual Sovereignty
June 24, 2013
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE:
BE A BUSYBODY
But enough of my personal analysis and
viewpoints. There have been many people, throughout the course of history, who
have stood in defense of the right to privacy, who have denounced the snoops, the gossips, the meddlers. Let's hear it from them, since
they have expressed it so very well.
Definition of busybody:
an officious or inquisitive person
Examples of
busybody:
The neighborhood busybody is telling everyone that
the couple up the street is getting divorced.
That busybody across the street is always telling
me how to tend to my own
garden.
- Synonyms: buttinsky, interferer, interloper, intermeddler, intruder, kibitzer, meddler, nosy parker
- Related Words: gaper, gawker, gawper, gazer, peeper, peeping Tom, prier, rubbernecker, snoop, snooper,, spy, blabber, discloser,, gossip, gossiper, prattler, quidnunc, betrayer, talebearer, tattler, telltale, snake, sneak, informant, snitcher, squealer, stool pigeon
- The Urban Dictionary
- http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=busybody&defid=274878
- Busybody:
- The kind of person you just want to punch in the mouth for being so damb annoying. They have no life and way too much time on their hands. They frequently use their excessive amount of time to annoy and monitor others, taddletale for small meaningless crap, butt into everybody's business except their own, and spy on people as if they think they are a cop or an important person or something. You know busy bodies when you see them: they evesdrop, will report you for "child abuse" when you discipline your kids in the mall by giving them a small smack on the hand, they knock on your apartment door for "being too loud" when chopping vegetables on your counter for dinner, will tell flight attendants something like "excuse me but I saw that man using his cell phone during the safety demo" and will tell a COP something like "excuse me sir but I saw that man's license plate tag as being expired." What do you want me to do about a cell phone or an expired tag you stupid, loser? I had a friend once who was a busybody. He told me 6 months after I moved to Arizona that "I am going to report your car to the state DMV if you dont get your car registered with the state." He did exactly what he said and I punched him in the face for it. We are not frinds anymore. I can't stand ANY busybody like this. Let's just say busybodies are the fingernails and we are their chalkboard.
- Busy bodies are usually self-rightous hypocrites that are quick to point out the faults in others but get defensive when you point out theirs.
- I can't stand any busybody. I want to punch them all in the mouth.
- Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil.
--Marcus
Aurelius
"Gossip needn't be false to be evil - there's a
lot of truth that shouldn't be passed around."
--Frank A. Clark
Who gossips to you will gossip about
you.
--Irish saying
"He gossips habitually; he lacks the common
wisdom to keep still that deadly enemy of man, his own
tongue."
--Mark Twain
He that covers a transgression seeks love: but he
that repeats a matter separates good friends.
Proverbs 17:9
"Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the
dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste
of the smoker."
--George Eliot
"Count not him among your friends who will retail
your privacies to the world."
--Publilius Syrus
"Avoid inquisitive persons, for they are sure to
be gossips, their ears are open to hear, but they will not keep what is
entrusted to them."
--Horace
"And all who told it added something new, and all
who heard it, made enlargements too."
--Alexander Pope
"One who is too wise an observer of the business
of others, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will
often be stung for his curiosity."
--Alexander Pope
"There is a lust in man no charm can tame: Of
loudly publishing his neighbor's shame: On eagles wings immortal scandals fly,
while virtuous actions are born and die."
--William Harvey
"That which is everybody's business is nobody's
business."
--Izaak Walton
"Gossip is always a personal confession either of
malice or imbecility."
--Josiah Glibert
Holland
“Friends don’t spy; true friendship is
about privacy, too.”
--Stephen King, Hearts in
Atlanta
“We live, in fact, in a world starved
for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and
true friendship.”
--C.S. Lewis, The Weight of
Glory
“Language ... has created the word
'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word
'solitude' to express the glory of being
alone.”
--Paul Tillich, The Eternal
Now
“Privacy is not something
that I'm merely entitled to, it's an absolute
prerequisite."
--Marlon
Brando
“No one likes to see a government
folder with his name on it.”
--Stephen King,
Firestarter
“When a private talk over a bottle of
wine is broadcast on the radio, what can it mean but that the world is turning
into a concentration camp?”
--Milan Kundera, The Unbearable
Lightness of Being
“What man art thou that, thus
bescreened in night,
So stumblest on my counsel?
Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?
So stumblest on my counsel?
Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?
--William Shakespeare, Romeo and
Juliet
“He that blows the coals in quarrels
that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in
his face.
--Benjamin
Franklin
"Driven from every other corner of the
earth, freedom of thought and the right of private judgment in matters of
conscience, direct their course to this happy country as their last
asylum."
--Samuel
Adams
"The privacy and dignity of our
citizens [are] being whittled away by sometimes imperceptible steps. Taken
individually, each step may be of little consequence. But when viewed as a
whole, there begins to emerge a society quite unlike any we have seen -- a
society in which government may intrude into the secret regions of a [person’s]
life."
--Justice William O.
Douglas
"Why doesn't everybody leave everybody
else the hell alone?"
--Jimmy
Durante
"A busybody's work is never
done"
--A.N.
Wilson
"I never hurt nobody but myself and
that's nobody's business but my own"
--Billie
Holiday
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised
for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live
under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's
cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but
those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do
so with the approval of their consciences."
--C.S.
Lewis
"I believe there is a limit beyond
which free speech cannot go, but it's a limit that's very seldom mentioned. It's
the point where free speech begins to collide with the right to privacy. I don't
think there are any other conditions to free speech. I've got a right to say and
believe anything I please, but I haven't got a right to press it on anybody
else. .... Nobody's got a right to be a nuisance to his
neighbors."
--H.L.
Mencken
"Mankind are greater gainers by
suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling
each to live as seems good to the rest."
--John Stuart
Mill
"The busybodies have begun to infect
American society with a nasty intolerance -- a zeal to police the private lives
of others and hammer them into standard forms -- A Nation of Finger
Pointers."
--Lance
Morrow
"The poorest man may in his cottage,
bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail, its roof may
shake; the wind may blow through it; the storm may enter; the rain may enter;
but the King of England may not enter; all his force dares not cross the
threshold of the ruined tenement."
--William
Pitt
"It will take America fifteen years of
steady taking care of our own business and letting everybody else's alone, to
get us back to where everybody speaks to us
again."
--Will
Rogers
"He who does not enjoy solitude will
not love freedom."
--Arthur
Schopenhauer
"The things most people want to know
about are usually none of their business."
--George Bernard
Shaw
"If you mind your own business, you
won't be minding mine."
--Hank
Williams
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an
evildoer or as a meddler.
1 Peter 4:15
1 Peter 4:15
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to
house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they
should not.
1 Timothy 5:13
[It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Proverbs 20:3
The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Proverbs 18:8
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Proverbs 11:13
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
Proverbs 20:19
RELATED REPORTS
PRIVACY: THE FINAL FRONTIER
http://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2008/08/privacy-final-frontier.html
The Right to Privacy
1 Timothy 5:13
[It is] an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
Proverbs 20:3
The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Proverbs 18:8
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Proverbs 11:13
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
Proverbs 20:19
RELATED REPORTS
PRIVACY: THE FINAL FRONTIER
http://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2008/08/privacy-final-frontier.html
The Right to Privacy
Invasions of Privacy & Meddling: Garden
Variety Busybodies
REAL I.D.: The Death Knell of Personal
Privacy
Ain't Nobody's Business If I
Do
For more reports, see the section on this
website, called THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY.
Barbara Hartwell Percival
Legal Defense & Research Trust
Legal Defense & Research Trust
Barbara
Hartwell Vs. CIA