Digital Story: Why should you care if the NSA spies on you if you have nothing to hide?

The Story of David Mery

What actually happened?

David Mery, from London, was in a London train station one day. That day, Mery was walking down the steps and avoiding all eye contact. He wore glasses, as you can see above, due to an eye infection that week. Mery was at the station to meet up with his girlfriend and while he was waiting for his train, he sat down and checked his phone. Then, he took an article about wikipedia out from his jacket. As Mery's train was arriving he was surrounded by the police. They handcuffed him and told him they were doing this because of the safety of the the Terrorism Act. They told him they stopped him because  on the CCTV system the police suspected suspicious behavior. Also, they said he was arrested because he did not look at the police men when he entered the gate. Police then said they arrested him because they believed his jacket was "too warm" and that his bad was unusually bulky. The final reason they handcuffed Mery was because he looked at his phone and took a piece of paper out of his jacket.

The previous day, was the coldest day in July in over 20 years. Mery's bag consisted of a laptop. His eye infection was the reason that he did not make contact and could it be possible that the guy was just having a bad day? Mery was then considered a terrorist for 8 years and after he was proven innocent, the government still kept his information in their files such as interviews and background information. Mery was innocent and they had no right to keep these files.

What does this have to do with anything?

The question has been rised, Why should I be concerned if the NSA is spying on me? I don't have anything to hide or it does not bother me would be a common answer to this question. Sounds like a reasonable answer if you do not have anything to hide but in this instance neither did David Mery. The man's life was ruined and he did not even do anything.

The average American commits three felonies a day whether they realize that it's a crime or not. Prohibiting the NSA to spy on you gives them a reason to find these mistakes that you have done. Someone who knows everything about you can destroy you and that is exactly what they did to Mery. They set him up. A society where a government can pick out an innocent individual to crush is more dangerous than a terrorist in the middle east.

What Can I do about it?

In this type of environment it doesn't seem like there is a whole lot that you can do. As of recently, a bill to prohibit these types of actions was vetoed and this bill is what is going to change all of this. The way to change all of this is to participate in this act and not let this go any further. That is why I am strongly encouraging you to email your representatives as I have and tell them what you believe in. Email your representatives

Stand up for what is right and make a difference.

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Annotated Bibliography

Engelhardt, Tom. "Surveillance: It's Worse Than You Think." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 June 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-engelhardt/surveillance-worse-than-you-think_b_5533215.html

In this article, Edward Snowden tells us about how surveillance is much worse than we think it is. Snowden elaborates and tells us that the more smart technology that we put in our homes, the more the government knows us. This is a scary issue that is really getting out of hand.

"Guy Benson - BREAKING: Massive Government Surveillance Program Exposed, All Americans Affected." Townhall.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/06/06/oh-my-massive-government-surveillance-program-exposed-all-americans-affected-n1614916

This article explains that this project has been going on for seven years and that this has been a problem for longer than we have realized. "They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type." A career intelligence officer created a powerpoint and used this quote in it. This right here shows that Snowden was successful by releasing the information that he did.

"Trapwiresurveillancesystemexposedleak." Www.theguardian.com. N.p., 13 Aug. 2012. Web.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/13/trapwire-surveillance-system-exposed-leak

This article was released over two years ago and reading it just now is shocking. This article claims that the US Department of Homeland Security spent $832,000 to put these surveillance cameras in Washington DC and Seattle. I don't think that this is an issue. I think that there is a CCTV surveillance that analyzes peoples face to see if they are going to commit a crime or not is concerning.

Digital Story Proposal

Digital Story Proposal

Surveillant  Issues

Today, there is no bigger luxury to our lives than technology. How much do we know about this technology though? Do we know the possibilities that occur within technology. We have no idea and its quite frightening actually. I was unaware of this issue until it was discussed in class. I knew that there are security issues and that you could be tracked but I wasn't aware that our every movement was being tracked. 

Some may say that this is a good thing. I can see where those people are coming from. It has it's perks such as finding fugitives and illegal/harmful stuff that is occurring. It can save lives and defiantly be put to some good use if used the right way. That is the question though: Is it being used the right way? Is it right for the government to be able to see everything we do or is that a violation to our amendments?

It was brought up in class that Abraham Lincoln would go through people's email, read what they were writing, and this is how he learned to read. Is this any different than what our government is doing know with security issues. In a way, I think it is. I think that him doing that did not deal a great deal of harm to anyone and probably gave him some advantages and is why he is one of the most liked presidents. I think that the surveillant issues now are a little excessive and that something has to be done on them. A bill was vetoed about the strickening  of this issue. Obviously people don't think that this is that great of an issue if it got vetoed.

The crazy thing is that we thought that we were the only country in the world that was being watched this closely by our government. It turns out we were wrong. Snowden claims that New Zealand is under close surveillance as well. Although New Zealand government denies these claims. It just makes you wonder, how much does the government do that we have no idea of?

The government also claims that they are doing this to keep tabs on terrorism after 9/11. However, in the past seven years, there has only been one case that that they have realized before it even happened. The government was aware of the Tsarnaev brothers from the Boston Bombing but didn't keep close eyes on them. 

Annotated Bibliography

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-edward-snowden-new-zealand-mass-surveillance-20140915-story.html

In this article, Snowden talks about how New Zealand is also under strict surveillance and that there every move is being watched as well. The New Zealand government since has denied these claims but Snowden tells the populous that the New Zealand government is lying just like the US government did. This article was uploaded in September 2014 so it is fairly recent.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/10/20/edward-snowden-and-lawrence-lessig

In this article, Snowden's main point is that the government says that they are doing this to protect us and to keep terrorism down, but in the past seven years, only one call has led to an actual terroristic threat. Snowden claims that it is impossible to be able to catch this guy because "hay is continually being dumped" on these people.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/10/15/un-investigator-report-condemns-mass-surveillance/

This article tells about how the UN is taking matters into its own hands and it has said that this is illegal to do. Article 17 in the covenant states that individuals are allowed to post stuff for other individuals without state interference. It also states that these messages will be read by the intended recipients only which we now understand is not occurring.

Codes of Gender: Group Project

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200468

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200470

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200474

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200476

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200484

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200485

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200488

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200490

http://blabberize.com/view?id=1200492

Final Project Consideration

Human Trafficking

After doing some research, I now know how big this human trafficking project occurring now is. The industry brings in more money then Nike, Starbucks, and Google combined. I still can't wrap my mind around this statistic. It's completely absurd and I can't even begin to image that much money. It is truly disgusting what is taking place in not only other countries but in the United States. I definitely think that this is something that more people need to be more aware about. The more people that are aware the less abducting happens and then not only is the public informed on this uprising issue, but also this helps to prevent it. I would really like to look into this more and further my research into this business because it is really mind blowing to me. I would like to really be well educated on this subject and then, maybe one day in the future, be able to save even one persons life and prevent this from happening to one person. It happens to millions every year, but to be able to save a life by just being informed on this topic would be awesome.

 I think that our entire class should be educated on this topic because it could really pay off in the long run. Not only by my groups presentation but they should look into it for themselves because there is a lot more to it that cannot be described in a single presentation. Because of the reason outbreak in this industry, everyone should know about this topic.

Literature Review

Literature Review

The reason I am talking about this is because this is not an issue that has always been like this. In the past 10 years the numbers have started to roar and we must raise awareness before it is too late. Between 2008 and 2012 there has been a 259% call increase to the NHTRC (National Human Trafficking Resource Center). The numbers are really starting to get out of hand and its scary. In the past 5 years there have been 9298 unique cases of human trafficking. 

As you can see, in the past 6 years there isn't one single state that human trafficking hasn't affected. Some more than others but this is really an issue that is concering. The reason that this type of behavior occurs is because there isn't too much of a risk to it and there is a very high reward in pay. The way we eliminate this is we start cracking down laws and make this a priority to fix because it is on the verge of getting to the point of no return.  It seemed as if this type of behavior was only occurring over seas but we now know that we are officially concerned with this issue and raising awareness is the first step. 

Basically, our groups plan is to compose questions and answers about human trafficking. We will go around campus and ask random students about human trafficking to get a general consensus on what people know about human trafficking. I assume that people won't know to much and the information that they find out about human trafficking will be very interesting,

http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview/human-trafficking-trends

Problem Statement

Human Trafficking 

     My group and I chose to do human trafficking for our SAP project. The reason that I really wanted to do this for my SAP project is because I didn't know to much about the topic and I wanted  to learn more as well as teach others what I will learn.

     When people think of human trafficking, the first thing they think of is the movie "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. This is what I think about. The movie is about a teenage girl traveling to Europe when suddenly she is abducted and sold in human trafficking. Liam Neeson, the girls father, then goes through a series of action filled scenes to save his daughter. After seeing this movie it was scary to think that these kind of things actually happen and this is the main reason I pursued this topic. 

 We will be asking these four questions to random students at John Carroll to see how much the general public knows about this topic and to also see there responses and compose a video that puts them all together. Questions are as follows:

1. What is human trafficking?

2. Where do you think this occurs?

3. How many people do you think it affects a year?

4. What is the yearly income of the industry?

Answers:

1. Human trafficking is the illegal movement of people, usually for the purpose of labor or commercial sexual exploitation.

2.Trafficking affects 161 different countries throughout the world.

3. In 2013, there were 3,609 cases of sex trafficking cases and 929 labor trafficking cases in the U.S. Also, 1/7 runaways were sex trafficking victims. Around the world, there is an estimated 4.5 million people trapped in sexual human trafficking and an additional 14.2 million people around the world to be trapped in the forced labor trafficking. Altogether, there are 20.1 million people victims of human trafficking a year.

4. The United Nations estimates the global expenditures on human trafficking is 32 Billion Dollars.

The answers to these questions are quite disturbing and are answers that people need to know.

Works Cited

http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking-in-the-us
http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/UNVTF_fs_HT_EN.pdf

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking 

     My group and I chose to do human trafficking for our SAP project. The reason that I really wanted to do this for my SAP project is because I didn't know to much about the topic and I wanted  to learn more as well as teach others what I will learn.

     When people think of human trafficking, the first thing they think of is the movie "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. This is what I think about. The movie is about a teenage girl traveling to Europe and suddenly she is abducted and sold in human trafficking. Liam Neeson, the girls father then goes through a series of action filled scenes to save his daughter. After seeing this movie it was scary to think that these kind of things actually happen and this is the main reason I pursued this topic. 

Our group then came up with four general questions to find a little bit more about the topic. We will be asking these four questions to random students at John Carroll to see how much the general public knows about this topic and to also see there responses.

1. What is human trafficking?

2. How many people do you think it affects a year?

3. What is the yearly income of the industry?

4. Where do you think this occurs?

Answers to follow in my next post!

SAP Proposal

SAP Proposal

Guerrilla art is random art in random places. I think that this type of art is quite inspirational and this type of art can change the world. It is very similar to graffiti. Artists use this technique to provide a different view on a topic or to provide information. I saw some really neat ideas when i searched Guerrilla art. One idea caught my eye was a paper towel dispenser that had North America hallowed out in the middle.The North America was see through so that you could see the paper towels through the dispenser. As an individual went to take paper towels out of the dispenser, the more that was displaced and it was very symbolic of what we were doing to this world. It provided me with an idea that I had never thought about before just through a small project such as that one. Even if this stops every person from taking  one or two paper towels each, over a year or two this is a very big saving on paper towels and that is one step closer to conserving Earth. In this scenario the guerrilla art has done its job.

At one point or another everyone gets to the point where they do not want to do something or simply do not have the motivation. Personally, when I am in one of these moods I think that inspirational quotes and youtube clips do wonders. They raise the awareness level and make you realize that you can do whatever you set your mind to. That is why I think that it would be a great idea to start some type of motivation room or quotations on the walls in the Grasselli Library. It is such a simple idea that can only make JCU students better and that is what will change this university from a good academic university to a great academic university. The thing that will make you the most successful in the classroom is an incredible work ethic. When a JCU student is stuck or finding himself/herself distracted they simply go into the room or read a quote on the wall to restore the motivation level. This is the true difference between getting B's in classes to getting those A's.

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we give more power to consumers rather than giving all the power to producers?

2. How can we be more efficient on how to upgrade accessories without throwing them away?

Technology Takeover

     A real concerning problem in todays society is the reliance of technology that children, teens, and adults use. Children are brought up from a very young age to live on the computer and begin to believe that this is normal. Teenagers are so consumed by technology. Texting terms are being brought into academic papers and are losing contact with reality. Teenagers and adults are now living in a fantasy land. Society is now ruled by texting. We live in a world where socialization among two unknown people is inexistent. A conversation cannot be sparked now and we need texting to communicate. Jobs are being lost due to the lack of social skills and we must take action to this. It isn't going to happen today or tomorrow. It is a long process and it starts with parents teaching kids that there are other ways to communicate and other things to do rather than always relying on technology. It is sad to see a generation turn to this but this is the new world that we live in and will continue to live in without change today.

Money Matters

http://Pixton.com/ic:076yujtb

Works Cited

Ashkenas, Jeremy, Matthew Ericson, Alicia Parlapiano, and Derek Willis. "The 2012 Money Race: Compare the Candidates." The New York Times 1 Jan. 2012, Politics sec. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

"Democracy from the Past to the Future." Birth of Democracy. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.<http://www.agathe.gr/democracy/democracy_from_the_past_to_the_future.html>.

"Obama and the Hedge Fund Factor." DealBook Obama and the Hedge Fund Factor Comments. The New York Times Company, 22 Apr. 2008. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.

Rosen, David. "Plutocrats v. Oligarchs." Plutocrats v. Oligarchs. CounterPunch, 2 May 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.

Abortion

Abortion 

     Do you think that murder is acceptable? 3 in 10 women who are pregnant will have an abortion before the age of 45. If a women decided to have sex then pregnancy is something that can happen if precautions are not done. With this being said, people have to start being accountable for there actions. There is no replay button in this life and it is very sad to see people be so selfish. Even if you can not supply for a child, adoption is still an option and if someone says that isn't right to give your child up for adoption is wrong. The right to live is so much greater than not even having the option to live. What if that baby that you decided to kill was going to be a policeman or fire fighter. Even more importantly, who says that that child would have not found the cure to cancer? The possibilities are endless of what this kid can accomplish and you are going to destroy something so precious just like that. That completely blows my mind. Be accountable for your actions. 

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/abortion 

Digital Media and Social Justice

Digital Media and Social Justice

     One thing that I have noticed that I was completely blind to before attending my First Year Seminar is the economics of electric waste. I read the article by Puckett, High Tech's Dirty Little Secret, and found it quite disturbing how we do this to countries that cannot do anything about it such as India. We are indirectly killing these Indian people with OUR problems and they shouldn't have to deal with that. I understand that the waste has to go somewhere but there has to be some type of better solution that that. This process completely defeats the purpose of recycling and after reading this article, I refuse to recycle any type of technology.

     I am actually disappointed in myself for not seeing this earlier and being so blind to the fact that this is occurring. Could you imagine being one of these Indian children or even living in India for that matter? According to growingplanet.in, 44% of India lives on less than a dollar a day. Minimum wage in the United states is $7.25 and this type of work would not be done for 7.25 an hour and most defiantly would it never be taken to these extremes.
   
     Just because the United States is more powerful than India, this does not mean that we should throw all of our problems on them. They are people also. What happened to people being treated equally? That doesn't just apply to United States citizens. It applies for everyone.

Puckett, J. (2006)  "High-Tech's Dirty Little Secret: The Economics and Ethics of the Electronic waste Trade.  In: Challenging the Chip: Labor Rights and Environmental Justice in the Global Electronics Industry". Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

About me

About Me

     Hello, my name is Nicolas Daigle. I am a freshman at John Carroll who was born and raised in Imperial, Pennsylvania. Imperial is a small town that is about 20 minutes from Pittsburgh. The email that I use is ndaigle18@jcu.edu. I have a nickname that most people call me. I go by Nic which is a little differently spelled than the traditional spelling "Nick". It is pronounced the same though. Some things that make me unique are that I love sports and competition. I play football for John Carroll University and last year played baseball and rugby as well for my high school.
     For me to be comfortable and to be able to take intellectual and creative risks in the classroom, I must be comfortable with my peers. It is different for me because I came to JCU knowing know one and meeting new people and feeling comfortable is huge for me. Another thing that I feel is beneficial to my learning is being active. Often times, during lectures and speeches I tend to find myself daydreaming. This is not always the case but I prefer a more hands on experience.
     The most important technological invention in history has to be the computer and progression of the internet. It is absolutely astonishing that in todays age, all that one has to do is simply ask a question into google and within an instant an answer will be present. Today's generation does not realize how incredible it is. During the course of my life I have seen a tremendous leap to what the internet was and what it is now today. Social Justice are the things that one can do to make a difference in the society. The number one thing that bothers me is when people overly obsess over social media. I have social media but I only use it when I am not associating with others or I am by myself. Another thing that I think is a huge issue in our society is when people judge others. A lot of people will make assumptions about someone because of something they are wearing, tattoos, or skin color. None of these things should be considered on deciding on weather or not someone is a good person and that is not right. Some questions for you: What do you like to do in your free time? Also, What is your favorite subject?