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Folks are asking “Am I the only one uneasy about this?”
“This is the mark of the beast. . . for your phone. I’m sure it won’t track you even when your phone is off.”
“I can’t help thinking we’re being set up for something that will be put into play near election. But maybe I’m just becoming cynical.”
“Why am I not allowed to opt out of presidential messages? The president is not allowed to insert himself into my life without my consent, and my cell phone is my life. This administration is becoming more Orwellian every day. “
“It’s definitely a big-brother creep out. Remember when the nuts used to say that Bush was going to declare martial law and cancel elections? I’d believe it of this guy.”
The sheeple will think this is a good idea. The terrorists — who also carry cell phones — will use it to their advantage. The thinkers will recognize it for what it is: the ability of government to reach into yet another aspect of our privacy under the guise of “security”. It is Orwellian, recalling the omnipresent and ubiquitous Big Brother telescreen, representing pervasive government surveillance, and incessant public mind control was omnipresent and ubiquitous.
Poll taken at the New York Daily News
NEW YORK, (CBSNewYork) – A new national alert system is set to begin in New York City that will alert the public to emergencies via cell phones.
Presidential and local emergency messages as well as Amber Alerts would appear on cell phones equipped with special chips and software.
The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said the system would also warn about terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
“The lessons that were reinforced on 9/11 is the importance of getting clear and accurate information to the public during a crisis,” New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Verizon and AT&T, the nation’s largest cell phone carriers, are already on board. Consumers would be able to opt out of all but those presidential messages.
The announcement of the new emergency alert system came in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death and an uptick in security and safety concerns around New York City.
For now, the alerts are capable on certain high-end cell phones but starting next year, all cell phones will be required to have the chip that receives alerts.
By the end of the year, the new system will be in place in New York City and Washington and in cities around the country by the end of 2012.
Bloomberg made the announcement about the new system Tuesday morning with FCC chairman Julius Genashowski and other federal and local officials.
This new emergency alert system is part of the Warning Alert and Response Network Act that was approved by Congress in 2006.
New York City already has an emergency alert in place called Notify NYC. Bloomberg says it’s the largest opt-in notification alert system in the country.
Cue the music:
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I too thought first of the 2012 election. Will I get a text message telling me Sarah Palin wants to kill old people? Will I have the option to reply back with a witty, yet sensitive, retort? Something like: “Sorry to miss your text. Me and my friends were wearing our Commie Obama hats outside the local ACORN office.”