Spying on your neighbor

url doesn't work.

Should we spy on our neighbors? As one that has been regularly harassed and "investigated" by the nosy jerks in my neighborhoods (throughout the past 25 years), I say no. Unless being a brownshirt suits you just fine.

MTV Martial Law Warnings - YouTube

I grew up knowing people that were there. A German couple that were children, a German soldier, and my grandfather & his friends (they served over there). You think that was 60 years, that we have to be a better people now. Well, you tell me what kind of better people we are when churches are burned down with innocent men, women & children are still inside. What kind of a better people are we when we have to fear voicing our opinions or face being arrested and sentenced?
What's next? Killing us for our Freedom of Religion? Oh, wait. Koresh and his followers died for that already. So Freedom of Religion is out, Freedom of Speech is out, Right to Keep and Bear Arms is out, I suppose now we have to have their permission to vote and who we vote for?

We have nothing to fear but our average citizens.

I skimmed through this.

It does hint of Germany's Hitler youth and being a good citizen means "reporting any suspicious activities of your neighbors".

But the parts I read were describing preventing the isolation that fosters kids to join the violent radicals in the first place.

Please quote the parts you have problems with, as it is a long winded(like most political speeches.).

I don't think many people want the neighbors like Abner and Gladis Kravitz being inspired.

Of 335 incidents in the U.S. 250 where from domestic sources.

Domestic terrorism in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Billnew said:

I skimmed through this.

It does hint of Germany's Hitler youth and being a good citizen means "reporting any suspicious activities of your neighbors".

But the parts I read were describing preventing the isolation that fosters kids to join the violent radicals in the first place.

Please quote the parts you have problems with, as it is a long winded(like most political speeches.).

I don't think many people want the neighbors like Abner and Gladis Kravitz being inspired.

Click to expand...

Bolding mine.

Nothing wrong with reporting suspicious activities. The problem is how some define suspicious activities.

We had a neighbor who seemed to think kids in their late teens/early twenties sitting on the front porch and talking suspicious.

keith99 said:

Bolding mine.

Nothing wrong with reporting suspicious activities. The problem is how some define suspicious activities.

We had a neighbor who seemed to think kids in their late teens/early twenties sitting on the front porch and talking suspicious.

Click to expand...

I think in Germany it was not having a swastika flying at your house, or having unknown "guests" in the house, or other benign actions or activities.

Truly suspicious activities should be reported.
Will someone carrying paper targets and a box of shells be suspicious?
Buying an extra propane tank?
Buying pipe and a box of nails?

Billnew said:

I think in Germany it was not having a swastika flying at your house, or having unknown "guests" in the house, or other benign actions or activities.

Truly suspicious activities should be reported.
Will someone carrying paper targets and a box of shells be suspicious?
Buying an extra propane tank?
Buying pipe and a box of nails?

Click to expand...

Pre WW II Germany had much more in common with pre WW II America. Far more small towns. Towns where everyone knew everyone else. Towns where unknown guests could be suspicious, because an out of town friend would get introduced, and any neighbor would quickly find out that it was not someone unknown to them, but to everyone else, including the homeowners siblings, parents and cousins. (And everyone would know that Hans was an avid bird watcher and had been having other birdwatchers over for years, and that leaving early in the morning was just to get see the early birds).

Not at all to say there wasn't a very nasty side to things. My wife is from such a small town near the French border. I've been told of one teacher who went out to visit one family with a child that had some problem, don't rememebr what, speach impediment is close it not exact. Young child, not quite ready for school. The teacher advised them not to send him to school. If sent his problem would be reported.

Same town had a very eccentric lady, the kind that would have been reported as a witch in earlier centuries. She was involved in smuggling Jews over the border into France.

Seems town trumped party Nazi. Neither was ever reported.

Of course now we have much larger cities. I doubt the same kind of sense of community exists. If we start down hte road of report your neighbor that buffer is not there.

IIRC, a terrorist plot was foiled when suspicious neighbors reported a group of people celebrating a 9/11 anniversary. I'll try to find a reference.

But just regarding law enforcement in general, no one can doubt that tips from alert citizens have solved crimes. A much bigger problem, particularly in gang-ridden urban neighborhoods is that citizens DON'T inform. How many violent crimes are never prosecuted because potential informants are so intimidated by threats of retribution?

keith99 said:

Nothing wrong with reporting suspicious activities. The problem is how some define suspicious activities.

We had a neighbor who seemed to think kids in their late teens/early twenties sitting on the front porch and talking suspicious.

Click to expand...

Exactly. I have bore the brunt of other people's suspicions, and to have to surrender important details of my life (literally) so they can "feel safe" is humiliating. Most other Christians do not understand this as they have not been there. Those that have been are tight lipped, and rightfully so- people think we're nuts. The "joys" of being a Christian with non-visible impairments/disabilities.

Something about being new to a small community and having to spend a weekend in jail or being dealt a warrantless search because the "locals" don't know who you are. You don't want to know the feelings I have for that. If they want to see what domestic terrorism looks like, they can go look in a mirror.

jayem said:

A much bigger problem, particularly in gang-ridden urban neighborhoods is that citizens DON'T inform. How many violent crimes are never prosecuted because potential informants are so intimidated by threats of retribution?

Click to expand...

In my experience, the police aren't really interested and often refuse to take reports from victims.