Michael Papincak is a member of the College Republicans
I have been asked to give my opinion on a type of surveillance that has made many on the left nervous and even more suspicious of the Bush administration. The surveillance on the antiwar protesters at schools like the University of California at Santa Cruz and others with large groups of antiwar protesters makes people nervous because the government is now spying on Americans.
However, this could be completely necessary and an important counterterrorism tool. Remember, the terrorists that were involved in the attacks on 9/11 were nowhere else but inside the U.S. It is no surprise that the government is keeping a close eye on places like UCSC where they have so many antiwar, anti-Bush, and liberal people who might be more then just protesting outside of their classrooms. This school has one of the largest antiwar populations in the nation, and could be a breeding ground for terrorists inside the U.S. Now, I know that sounds a like a little much, and I am not sure that I even believe that these students have made plans to go suicide bombing anytime soon but you never know, and I think the Bush administration just doesn’t want to take any risks.
I know that many of you have moved beyond the days of 9/11, but President Bush has not, and he will never forget that day and the days that followed. I am sure that he believes that this is just one more way to make sure that something like 9/11 never happens again inside the U.S.
I should add that during my research, I found that Americans that are recorded during any surveillance are deleted from the counterterrorism database after three months if they do not pose any threat. At this point, I feel that this surveillance by the government is justified and another necessary action taken to strengthen our national security.