Privacy?

[the_wanlorn]

Does anyone even know what "privacy" means anymore? Apparently not. This world needs a lesson in the concept of privacy. Shall we start with a definition, ey? Pri-va-cy n. 1 The quality or condition of being secluded from the presence or view of others. 2 The state of being free from unsanctioned intrusion: a person's right to privacy. 3 The state of being concealed; secrecy. So now we all understand the concept (hopefully). If you don't understand it after that crystal clear definition, I suggest that you go step out in front of a bus, for you are clearly of no benefit to society. Since when did the right to privacy become a non-right? I'm not talking about the government intruding in our lives, or anything like that. Nothing large-scale. I'm talking about the everyday privacy that is generally afforded to all people by those around them. For example: My right to privacy entitles me to be sure that other students will not go through the contents of my backpack without my consent. This is extended to those things in the skool that I have claimed as mine (ie: my locker or my cubicle). It's not that hard, right? If something is in one of three places, leave it alone. Don't put your belongings in any of those three places. There are plenty of other locations to deposit your belongings that are just as accessible. I don't know about you, but if someone has clearly staked out their claim to a particular area, I don't go around encroaching on this claim. So, I ask you, why can't people respect my claim to my cubicle? Why must everyone feel the need to try to take it, or to leave their stuff there, and the like? Aren't there four other cubicles that they could use? Why yes, in fact, there are! Amazing! And yet, the eternal "they" continuously drops their own belongings into my space. And not just once. Were it only once, I could understand and I would ask the person politely to not do it again. Nor is it only one person, otherwise I would "make" them see that there are plenty of other places to leave their backpack or books or papers. There's a good handful that do it. Maybe it wouldn't be so insulting were I not such a territorial person. But I am. And what of my right to surf the internet as I chose? There comes a time in the life of every parent in which they must let go of their children. A child can not be safe-guarded from the horrors of the world forever. Am I not almost an adult at 17? I should think that I clearly understand the concepts of "things done in movies" and "things done in real life". Last time I checked, I understood that while it's perfectly acceptable for James Bond to shoot up a building in a movie, it is not acceptable for me to do that in real life. Shouldn't it follow that I be allowed to do what I want on the net, no questions asked? If I want to look at porn, shouldn't that be okay, so long as I don't go around screwing everything in sight? In another year or so, I'll be at college with no one to be checking the History and telling me not to do that. There are things that I need to research in order to write better. If I'm describing a crime scene in all of its gore, it helps to have a picture to go off of. But apparently that's not okay, to do that type of research. I should be able to "use my imagination". Admittedly so, but it wasn't until I watched "Gangs of New York" that it fully sunk in that during a battle, the ground is literally stained with blood. It's not just a literary cliche. Were I to write a battle scene before that, perhaps I would have my character stop to admire the emerald green grass at the end of the battle. Which would be impossible in real life, because the emerald green grass would more be a ruby red. The most recent upset in my right to privacy is, of course, coming from my mother. I went to a site called "Vampire Church" recently, not knowing what it was. I don't even remember why I went. But it was a site devoted to the people who actually live their life as though they were vampires. Mom is now totally ripshit at me, because she was checking the History earlier today and found it. At 17, I would think that I have the right to be interested in things such as the vampire church and be able to read up about them without being punished for it. Mom is forever trying to make me into another Kerry. I'll never be my perfect sister, but she doesn't seem to understand that. It is beyond her comprehension that I might be more in favor of an "alternative" lifestyle than a goody-two-shoes-racist-homophobic lifestyle. May the gods help me, I'm not a bloody conformist. I'm not exactly a non-comformist either. Once again, I'm nothing. But these breaches of privacy have me angry. I feel that I trust my family even less than I already did trust them. And if I can't trust my own blood, then how can I trust other people? Blood is thicker than water and all. I have so much more to say about this, but my thoughts refuse to form into coherent sentences. Until next time, faretheewell.