Jawohl, Herr Commandant

Track them while they are young, that way they will be used to it, then in high school you can insert chips under the skin and track them for the rest of their lives. Even living on a military base where you had to produce ID to do anything, I never felt as watched as I do now. I haven't done anything wrong but I still must be watched to make sure I don't do anything wrong, like be where I'm not expected. They say it is in the name of safety, that is the story now, in a few years it will be for something else. Our bus driver always knew who we were and what stop we were supposed to get off on. Perhaps one should look at the quality of the driver to pay attention.

High-tech tags may track kids in TUSD | www.azstarnet.com �: "He said the benefits of the program would be numerous.
Districts could track the location of their buses and note their speeds and number of kids on the bus in real time. Teachers could take attendance earlier because they would be notified that a student is headed to school. Parents could arrange their schedules to meet buses and not have kids walking alone. The program also could help administrators know exactly which kids are on a bus that's been involved in an accident or is running late.
'In the click of a mouse, they can know exactly who was on the bus, not who they think is on the bus,' Rowley said.
Bill Ball, TUSD's transportation director, said the test phase is going smoothly and he's impressed by the way he can track buses in all parts of the city.
He wouldn't give odds on the program's approval, saying that more testing and analysis is necessary this summer. Plus, he wants to consider other companies that have expressed interest in more traditional technology that would track only the buses, not the students on them.
Blenman Elementary School parent Ken New says he keeps a close eye on his 6-year-old twins, Cassandra and Marcus, but he thinks the tracking device could be a good use of technology.
'The only thing I'd be concerned about is who could get access to that kind of information,' he said.
Alessandra Soler Meetze, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, said the technology seems to have a lot of benefits — but it shouldn't replace the human eye.
An alternative would be adult supervisors on the bus, she said.
The districtwide program would start with kindergarten through fifth-grade students, Rowley said, because they are less likely to complain about wearing a tracking device.
As the children get older, the program could work its way into middle and high schools.
'By the time a kindergartner gets to sixth grade, they'll get used to it,' Rowley said."

Access to that kind of information is what worries me. When Enemy of the State first aired, I thought it was a little far-fetched, now we know that it is understated. Shortly, you won't be able to go anywhere, spend any money, say anything you want or travel without permission.

As with most government programs this will grow all out of proportion, taking over lives. We might as well be in 1950's Russia.

Tags: RFID, tracking schoolchildren, Russia,