Fingerprints and background checks

Proof that nobody talked to the school lawyer.


Come Wednesday there is going to be a great deal of confusion.

I should mention K's take on all this. She has been very mature and has said that Mr B needs to make the decision that he can best live with. She wants him to go on the trip but is proud of the stand we've made on behalf of the group and will understand whichever way it goes.

Good for K. There are worse things than having opinionated parents--and she's mature to realize this.

Yay for K! And her parents!

Heaven wins the prize! This is basically what the outcome was. The school board met, read our letter, shrugged, said 'we must continue with our plan for the safety of our children', reclassified Mr B as an accompanying adult, said there would be no awkwardness because there are more than enough chaperones and that was that.... until last night at the meeting. The paperwork packets had been prepared in advance and part of the info was the student/chaperone assignments. My husband was assigned to a some kids and when the chaperones were all asked to stand up and introduce themselves so the kids could find their chaperones, he remained seated. K said the kids were giving her looks like, 'why isn't your dad standing up - he's listed my chaperone?' They asked her this morning why he didn't stand up and she said there was a misunderstanding in the chaperone assignments.

We've already heard one comment about having something to hide. I'm tired, it's been a long week. Hopefully we get to move on from here. Thanks all for you support.

Huh.

That'd suck if there's some kind of stupid backlash -- hope there won't be.

Good for you for seeing it through, though.

Thanks for letting us know. <<<hugs>>>

And, anyone claiming you have something to hide is an idjit; rights are meant for the innocent as well as the guilty.

Thanks for the up-date!



I'm still really surprised that fingerprinting can be done in such a way.

Thanks. The reality of it becomes we either fight the policy publicly or we accept the restriction that neither of us will ever chaperone our children. M enters high school next year and K will be there for two more years. We need a breather from this and the focus right now needs to be on everyone enjoying their trip but in the end we've got a decision to make going forward.

J_B--

I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't some behind-the-scene rumbles going on concerning the fingerprinting policy.

Are you sure the school solicitor has been asked for an opinion?

Meanwhile, rest, recoup and gird up your loins for the next bout.

Hold your dominion.

No, I'm not sure, Noddy. There might be some other rumblers but you wouldn't have thought so the other night. As we walked in, a woman was sitting at the table having her prints taken. She was giddy with excitement crowing, "I've never been fingerprinted before. This is so exciting! tehetehe" I wanted to barf. I've come away from this week with the definate feeling that I don't belong here. The problem is, I don't know where 'here' is. I'm not sure if its this community, or IL, or this country.

The schools teach our children about civil liberties and the concept of innocent until proven guilty and then become the very example of how that message is a farce.

I'm sure I'll get my dander up and fight another round. How soon that happens might just depend on how much position defending we have to do. I've had more than one person suggest a chat with the media or a visit with an ACLU lawyer. I'll sit on it for now and see how it goes.

I was so happy to get out of Naperville for just those reasons. Ugh.

Columbus, or at least the area where I live, has been WAY better.

That's just the point, Walter. I really don't think it can be done. School boards, and legislative bodies can pass rules and laws all they want. Unless someone is willing to go through the BS it takes to scream and fight against it, then it will stand. I've taken on causes before, usually fighting along with others in my community who have felt the same way (treehuggers fighting against the devestation of the woodlands, for instance). It's entirely possible that my husband and I are on an island with this one.

If you stay true to the way you prefer to be and don't let others dictate or brow-beat you, all will be well.

I have to say I agree with you on this fingerprinting issue. I wouldn't do it and I am a saint (joke) so it's not about anyone finding out a deep dark dirty secret about me. I am very protective of my privacy. It's no-one elses business and I dislike anyone demanding these ridiculous things of me, even if they do say it's the norm or it's not over-the-top of them to do so. My response is how careful are they of the information I give them - will they protect it with their lives, company, and reimburse me should I become victim to identity theft, stalking, sales calls I detest, junk-mail, and so on and so on. Yes those are extremes but not as unlikely as you might think with all the info floating out there and many people who think nothing of taking it and using it.

With all the terrorist activities in recent years (including 9/11), a majority of American people are not seeing the big picture on the rights they are allowing to be trampled on. Safety, protection, unhiding the secrecy of the terrorists are foremost in their minds. I am all for protecting ourselves and not putting our heads in the sand (pardon my pun) but it goes too far and delves too deeply into our civil liberties. I do not think people should become tracked like animals and that information be shared with any Tom, Dick or Harry who might use it in a positive or negative way. Since we have absolutely no control on the information after it leaves us, then we must protect ourselves by not giving it in the first place.

End of lecture
<<getting off soap-box>>

Nooooooo, don't go! I need company on the soap box.

Tee Hee. I have been known to drive an official or two completely nuts.

A census taker tried to make me answer lots of questions that I felt were just waaay to personal. He kept badgering me and for each question I would ask about twelve:

-How much is your salary including overtime, bonuses, perks, etc., and how much money do you have in your bank account(s)?

Me:
-Why do you want to know?
-Who sees this information?
-Is it posted on any web-site?
-Is there a database this is entered into?
-Who enters it? Do they have a criminal background check? Are they doing this data-entry from a prison somewhere?
-Do you have insurance if I sue you because my information was stolen from your databanks, intranet, or any other outlet that people could download or steal my information from?
-What do YOU earn in a week/month/year?
-What is YOUR social security number?
-Why won't you give me YOUR information?
-Where do you live?
-What is your mothers maiden name?

I think it was the comment I made about remembering something someone once said about a census-taker, some falva beans and a nice chianty that made him shut-up, put his files back in his duffel bag and scarper out of my building sharpish.

I can be so annoying.

Bottom line: our country doesn't have a national identity card. And there's a reason for this. It's not that we think our citizens are so wonderful or that there are no terror threats, it's that we know that national identity cards were favored by, among others, the Nazis (e. g. "can I see your papers?" - this is what that means).

No time to elaborate but I am glad to stand on said soap box with ya.

On your driving licences is more info than on my ID-card or .... passport

(which I only will get shortly, because I only need in countries like the USA or formerly when going to some communist countries :wink: ).



Compulsory identity cards were first issued e.g. in the United Kingdom during World War I.

ID cards are used in German countries since the late medieval ages/early modern (were 'developed' between 13th and 17th century) and not at all an invention of the nazis.

Carrying them compulsary is law here since at least 19th century when the German Reich was founded.
(I've one from 1809, but that's issued by the French authorities, which governed the 'Kingdom of Westphalia' situated close to us.)

Oh, I know it's not an invention of the Nazis, but that's what the card evokes in a lot of people's minds. Certainly there have been ID cards of some sort or another as long as there have been cards.

But the idea here is that that much information doesn't have to be on your person at all times and for every single purpose. And I recognize that this is changing. I also recognize that there are plenty of situations wherein proving identity is important. But the bottom line is that it's not required (at least not at this time) to produce an ID card if you're just walking down a sunny street and aren't doing anything of interest or suspicion.

I have little doubt that the jogger who just ran by my house doesn't have any sort of ID on him. And that's not illegal. If he was running down the street carrying a TV, though, the cops would understandably be interested in him and probably demanding to see a form of identification. But to just get exercise? Nah.