Dear Editor, In these uncertain times, rights and responsibilities we share are under threat. Our rights are written in the US Constitution, but to stay in effect they depend on every one of us to know and exercise them. The United States Constitution is the most valuable document in the world for not only freedom, but also for the effective operation of a government “of the people, by the people and for the people”. Some have even taken the time to copy it by hand recently, saying that it is a calming, even a fascinating experience. Sharing it with others is vital to understanding what freedom means, especially while we still have it. A great time to read from it would be on the Fourth of July, and parts of it creates interesting dinner discussions. Copies are on the internet and can be printed out easily. Every library has a copy. The freedoms and protections we enjoy all stem from it.
Today the balance of power it defined has been upset and corrupted, partly from our wish to cut back on government’s reach. But we live in a complex society with technological assets like aircraft, autos, and trains for travel, computers and internet for information exchanges, all things we depend on and expect to enjoy in safety. Our government ensures that safety. Compromising, say, airspace safety and security, as has happened, potentially puts all air travelers in danger.
Today we endure an epidemic of doubt in the most basic foundations of our society. Reading the Constitution together or alone might restore some certainty about how things should be. Thanks for your attention.
Joan Sheski
Who will be watching our Children?
Dear editor, In the April 22nd issue the Citizen reported on GCCS purchasing a new security camera system from Verkada. The Citizen and GCCS diligently repeated sales bullets for Verkada. However, what was not reported was that in the last five years Verkada has had at least two public breaches resulting in access to live cameras and other private information, and has violated multiple privacy laws in the course of their normal business.
One of the features touted by GCCS was facial recognition technology, which means that the district is allowing and encouraging Verkada to maintain a database of our children's pictures and fingerprint their facial features. To create the fingerprint requires extensive analysis, most models available to consumers can not recognize children's faces because we protect children's privacy and they are not included in the model training. So regardless of any authentic claim of AI this means it likely this database of children's faces will require human review to verify accuracy, most companies outsource these tasks to the lowest bidders, so that is another chance for multiple parties to gain access to a large database of our children's pictures. Surveillance companies also make a hefty profit by selling thiese identification databases to law enforcement agencies such as ICE who can use the information without obtaining a lawful warrant and going thru due process. Regardless of any privacy agreement between GCCS and Verkada, Verkada's history has shown a disregard for privacy and any reasonable person could assume that with sufficient motivation they would violate said agreement.
The fact that despite of all this public information available regarding these companies practices, and specifically Verkada, that the GCCS administrators and board are considering this purchase shows a complete lack of oversight and consideration for the safety of our children.
William Dixon
Alamo Fire Response
Dear editor, Sad to hear about the loss of several trailer homes in Grants from fire.
Rumors that it may have been set intentionally, some people said they would like to find and take things into their own hands. I can’t begin to know how they feel, and if they even had insurance to cover their losses. I can barely afford insurance for my own home in my retirement years on a fixed income. I place the blame on the City of Grants' elected officials and the Code Enforcement Officer, who was caught pouring oil into a dumpster some time back. Some years back, an 80year-old lady friend of my now 88-year-old father was on kidney dialysis, was given a citation from the Code Enforcement Officer for having too many weeds on her property on Valencia Drive, which my dad had to clean up. To make matters worse, there are buildings all over the Grants that are being used for drug houses and homeless people. I was told run-down homes are being used for drugs right across the street, near a school where kids go. I have lived here since I was 2 and remember having bad weeds if you let them get big and dry out, not to mention the large empty fields with large clumps of sagebrush; you are asking for trouble. I always try to keep all brush around and inside my property clear of tumble weeds, and anything that would burn. I even keep cameras 24/7 around my home, like many do nowadays. The Governor is calling out the National Guard to try to cut down on the crime and homeless problems in Albuquerque. I saw this firsthand last week when I stopped at Wyoming & Central. I could not even get into a store to use a restroom without stepping over people. Do not expect the police to be around to catch and stop people who are sick and want to do these things. Rest assured, your local government officials will sit on their backsides when it comes to making the community safe from property owners who let things go and only react after there is a problem.
Harry Hall USAF Veteran Retired Police/Sheriff Lt 38+ Years