We must reject Big Brotherization

Red-light cameras give me the creeps. Every time I see these inanimate robocops perched above an intersection, a chill runs down my spine. In 1949, George Orwell wrote “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” a novel forecasting a bleak future where citizens were subjected to constant surveillance, official deception, totalitarianism and perpetual war. We now have the technology; how will we use it?

Fortunately, many young people are smart enough to reject a dystopia where “Big Brother is watching you.” My eldest son graduated from college last year and returned to work in computer engineering. Now he is ready to purchase his first home. Last weekend, we drove around different neighborhoods visiting open houses. As soon as he spotted an array of red- light cameras, he said, “not around here.” I was proud of him.

Craig Wood

Arlington