Big Brother Is Watching You

I expected to face some scrutiny upon returning to the UK and gaining any form of employment. However, what I have come up against during this last week has taken the biscuit. It has surpassed everything I thought possible when I consider security checking processes. It has made me question just how much Big Brother does watch us, and how much Big Brother would like to watch us if legally they could.

Basically the main issue I am facing is the fact I lived abroad for the last 3 years. Here in the UK it seems that the system, and those in control of it, won’t be happy with anything they can’t fully qualify or quantify. If they feel they are unable to track me from my first day living abroad to my last, they aren’t happy. They immediately feel suspicious that they are dealing with a criminal or a terrorist.

Now I have provided all the information required of me, everything necessary to prove I am not a criminal or a terrorist. This information is exhaustive, never ending and ever changing. I have forwarded references from the UK and abroad, proof of addresses for the last 5 years, photographic ID, passport number, National Insurance Number, my foreign residency details, my overseas police check, gone through the process of completing a UK police check, provided certificates and verifying emails, even 3 years bank statements with explanations of deposits and declaration documentation.

Yet, regardless of all this I still haven’t received an all clear that they have enough proof to state that I am who I am and that I am not a criminal or a terrorist.

What more can I do? What else can I produce? Perhaps they may wish to polygraph me or send me to a detention centre and beat the living daylights out of me until they are satisfied I’m not a threat to the UK!!!

I am a UK national too; born and bred in the UK! I have lived, worked, been educated and paid my dues to the UK, but the moment I decided to relocate because of better opportunities, and then I decided to return, it was as though that this act alone automatically made me a criminal.

I am angry beyond belief that these checks are so intrusive and demand such confidential information (bank account details for one). I have jumped over their every hurdle and still may not be cleared for work in my chosen field, which is at the moment within the financial sector. I have expressed my concerns, but to no avail. I have just had to smile and face the fact that this background checking company hold my entire life at their fingertips. I also have no real guarantees that the information I have provided will be secure and confidential; that I won’t have some disgruntled employee selling on all my confidential details to the highest bidder

This makes me wonder what will happen if I do fail!? I state now, there is NO reason for me to fail. I have given them every piece of evidence as required to prove that I am not a threat, not a criminal and not a terrorist – two police checks surely are sufficient enough for this?! Ironically, if I wanted to work with children and young people, I am now officially cleared to do so. I am fully security checked and Okayed; minus the confidential intrusion and masses of information required for a job with money!!! The welfare of people is obviously not as important as other people’s money!!

So, how much more can Big Brother demand of me before I scream and tell them to get lost and keep their job?! I’m not sure. All I know is that if I do fail the security checking processes it poses a massive question as to the success and validity of their actual processes, and also I am left wondering what unjust repercussions that black mark will have for my continued career? I am left wonder if the worst does come to the worst, not only will I be left without my promised job, but how will I then reverse that wrongly received condemnation and prove I am innocent and not a criminal or a terrorist?

This background checking company basically have my life in their hands, and hold my future too. If they condemn me how can I say they were wrong, how can I then prove I am innocent? Where would my authority come from to challenge them when it is their purpose to prove people’s innocence??

For me it makes me sick to think that one company has that much power over any one person’s life. They are after all fallible and can either way make mistakes. It proves to me that Big Brother does call the shots and that the little people, the decent, honest and hard-working will always come off the worst against such unstoppable and rubber stamped force.

This is how the innocent are treated, God help the guilty!

I can only sit and wait and hope that all of this ends, and that by tomorrow I receive my much deserved security clearance.

If not, I have a whole new fight on my hands, which will lead me into uncharted territories.

Freedom Of Speech?

Everyone has got something to say about how free their speech should be.

However, peoples beliefs, ideas and notions about freedom of speech seem to be in conflict with what it actually is.

Well, what exactly is freedom of speech?

To clarify the mystery let us look at the Wikipedia definition, just so we know we are all on the same page, so to speak:

“Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one’s opinions and ideas using one’s body and property to anyone who is willing to receive them. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, as with libel, slander, obscenity, sedition (including, for example inciting ethnic hatred), copyright violation, revelation of information that is classified or otherwise.

The right to freedom of expression is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 of the ICCPR states that “[e]veryone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference” and “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice”. Article 19 goes on to say that the exercise of these rights carries “special duties and responsibilities” and may “therefore be subject to certain restrictions” when necessary “[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others” or “[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals”.

Interesting. Interesting also to note I have emboldened certain parts of this text, to comment on obviously, as on the this humble piece of the blog-stratosphere, I have the freedom to speak my own opinions.

The first point to consider states that we have the right to; “Communicate one’s opinions and ideas….to anyone who is willing to receive them”. To me, this statement does not mean forcing your opinions or ideas upon those people, who frankly couldn’t care a less. As we all know, we all have our own ideas and opinions, and of course as is human nature, and the difference of being different, they all differ from time to time. What a shock!

Why then do some people think they have a right, or a duty, above and beyond us mere mortals, to shout their ideas and opinions loudest of all? Why do some people wish to drown everyone else out, and force others to shut up and concede to them? Where is the freedom of speech in that ethos? What makes one person, or people, think their ideas and opinions are superior, and are worth listening to more than anyone else’s? “[e]veryone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference”, that is what the definition states loud and clear. Perhaps then these people who wish to subdue everyone else, really ought to educate themselves on the premise of freedom of speech, before they speak!

In other words; if you have something to say then make it worthwhile, otherwise, please just shut up and leave other people alone! We’re not listening if we don’t want to, as per our right, according to freedom of speech!

“The right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations”. People often disagree with this, but then of course these people also don’t wish to hear or be informed about other people’s ideas and opinions either. Some people only really want to hear what they want to, and would indeed censor anyone who conflicted with their own ideas and opinions. So, once again, where is the freedom in that??

I would like to know, what is absolute freedom anyway?? Also, why do some people think that their freedom is more important than anyone else’s? Could it be that people claim there ought to absolute freedom when they themselves are censored, because they have something horrible, threatening, bullying and insidious to shout about? Maybe.

This leads me directly to what is censored, and why of course; “the exercise of these rights carries….. special duties and responsibilities………and may…..therefore be subject to certain restrictions……. when necessary……[f]or respect of the rights or reputation of others….or…..[f]or the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or morals”. Does this clause, that can limit the freedom of anyone’s speech seem reasonable??? For me, no.

Before people accuse me of having petty despot fantasies, hear me out; this is my freedom of speech after all!!

Consider what damage words can do to a person, their life, their reputation, their happiness and security. Many of us may indeed recall a school-yard bully, who didn’t resort to violence to inflict pain and rule with terror, but only words. The sort of words that are better off never being spoken. The type which are threatening, nasty, damaging and damn right insidious.

Extrapolate this example then into the wider-world, and imagine what damage words, uncontrolled and misdirected can do. The answer is, plenty of damage.

Shouldn’t we all then have a responsibility to edit our words? Consider the content, quality, quantity and intent before we fire the loaded weapon, and expect everyone to just sit back and be OK with it all? If we aren’t willing to allow other people’s words to just fly past our ears without response, then why should other people afford us such courtesy?

I think the moral of this tale is; choose your words carefully, and always, always, expect a response!