Thursday, August 28, 2008

What's good for the peasants isn't good for the councillor?

Lancashire, England Councillor (City Councilman) Albert Richardson has his knickers in a bunch about a surveillance camera that's been installed directly outside of his home. He's so upset about it that he's announced that he's going to let the trees on his property grow out in order to prevent Big Brother from seeing who comes and goes from his house.

As it turns out, this is a radical departure in his attitude about the cameras from last year, when Richardson championed and welcomed the arrival of the new observational overlords - for the rest of the town, that is:

"But in April 2007 when the new cameras were announced, Coun Richardson told The Evening Post: 'I live right in the middle of St Matthew's ward so I welcome this'...'It is sad to say it because no-one likes being spied on by these cameras, but when I think of the vulnerable people who live in St Matthew's ward, I do think this is needed.'"

You wanted the cameras, Mr. Richardson, so shut up and deal with them, just like the rest of the peasants you forced this scheme onto. Now that you know how it feels to have your privacy taken away, you might be more reluctant to legislate away everyone else's rights next go-round.

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