Bret Bushaw

A Shift in Public Opinion: Study Shows More Americans Are Concerned About Privacy Than Potential Terrorist Attack.

Posted by Bret Bushaw Corruption, Miscellaneous Issues Comments Off

Jul 302013

In the latest Pew Study 47% of Americans have become more concerned with their civil liberties over a potential terrorist attack, saying that the government’s anti-terrorism policies have gone too far in restricting civil liberties. This has been a major shift in public opinion since 2004 when 49% said that the policies haven’t gone far enough to protect the country and in 2010 when that number rose to 58%, compared to 29% and 27% respectively.

Along with this, 53% agreed that the media reports too much information that could harm the anti-terror programs, 56% agreeing that the government keeps too much information about the programs secret from the public.

What should be noted is the difference in age groups. 60% of those 18-29 said that the government has gone too far in restricting civil liberties compared to 48% of those 30-49, 44% of those 50-64, and 33% of those 65 and older. Although the age difference on this issue is apparent, the percentages of young people approving and disapproving of the NSA’s actions are nearly identical, 46%-49% respectively.

Opinion: NSA: National Spying Agency

Posted by Bret Bushaw Corruption, Miscellaneous Issues Comments Off

Jun 082013

Just when people would think the scandals from the Obama administration were enough, a new scandal has reared its ugly head.

The Guardian, a news site based in England, came out with a critical report about the National Security Agency receiving phone data and records of millions of Verizon customers in the U.S. The Guardian obtained a court order, showing that Verizon was required to give the NSA information on every phone call on a “ongoing, daily basis” from location of the call to the time and duration.

What makes this report troubling is that while the Bush administration has done this before, the newly-found report shows that Obama has continued this practice, increasing the amount of data collecting tenfold.

One would assume that Verizon was the only company under this program. However, that person would be terribly wrong.

As this news came out, more information arose about the NSA’s top secret Prism program in which companies including Google and Apple gave the NSA full access to their servers, collecting as much data as possible. When inquired about this data collecting, many of the companies denied knowledge of said program despite them being involved since 2007, Apple being the recent company to join in 2012.

Once again, this program was issued under Bush and renewed by Obama.

This finding is not only disturbing, it is a major invasion of privacy on American citizens, and perhaps the entire world. The fact that Obama has continued to use programs that were used by Bush and has increased the power of the NSA is hypocritical and mind-boggling. It just shows how Obama has not changed any of the Bush policies that he promised voters.

Coincidentally, today is the 64th anniversary of George Orwell’s famous novel 1984. And this NSA situation is eerily similar to the events in the novel.

Link to exclusive report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order

Link to Prism program report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data

First Atheist Monument to Be Erected in Florida

Posted by Bret Bushaw Religion Comments Off

Jun 042013

For the first time in American history an atheist monument will be erected in Starke, Florida. This is in response to the Ten Commandments display that was erected on the Bradford County Courthouse property last May which American Atheists, a nonprofit group that advocates for religious equality and separation of church and state, had deemed to be unconstitutional and sued in attempt to get the Ten Commandments removed. The Christian group that had their display up refused to take it down, so Bradford County and American Atheists went to court and agreed to an atheist monument under a public forum for other religious or, in this case, nonreligious displays.

The new monument, a bench weighing 1,500-lbs, will contain atheist/secular quotes from prominent figures like the Founding Fathers and the founder of American Atheists Madalyn Murray O’Hair. A rendering of this monument can be found on the Huffington Post below:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/atheist-monument-starke-florida_n_3368319.html

While most atheists and church and state separatists want the Ten Commandments gone under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, this public forum for other displays is the best option for now. That way, different religious and nonreligious groups will be able to equally express their views on the public square alongside Christians and, now, atheists.

Local news segment on atheist monument: