Surveillance Cameras Win Broad Support
Crime-fighting beats privacy in public places: Americans, by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, support the increased use of surveillance cameras — a measure decried by some civil libertarians, but credited in London with helping to catch a variety of perpetrators since the early 1990s.On cue, the American Criminal Lovers Union starts whining.
Given the chief arguments, pro and con — a way to help solve crimes vs. too much of a government intrusion on privacy — it isn't close: 71 percent of Americans favor the increased use of surveillance cameras, while 25 percent oppose it.
Critics, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, have opposed such systems, arguing that they invade privacy, and could be used to track innocent people.Again, cameras in public places make sense, and if you're innocent, what is there to worry about?
Through a political lens, support for increased use of surveillance systems is lowest, 62 percent, among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who support Barack Obama for president — and highest of all, 86 percent, among Republicans who support Rudy Giuliani, who made his name as New York City's crime-fighting mayor.Anyone detect a bit of irony here? The young crowd who might support a Barack Obama is also more likely to be flaunting themselves on YouTube and MySpace pages and have no problem walking around in skimpy outfits, yet they're opposed to surveillance cameras.
Go figure.
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