RFID Surveillance in Schools and the Weaponization of Justice

On this Tuesday, August 8, 2023 broadcast, Kim Monson welcomes Epoch Times reporter Janice Hisle to analyze the unprecedented legal prosecution of former President Trump and the shift in his campaign messaging toward Bidenomics. In the second hour, West Point graduate and Children’s Health Defense contributor Pam Long exposes the alarming privacy implications of RFID tracking systems being deployed in Colorado schools under the guise of safety.

RFID Tracking Systems Threaten Student Privacy

Start listening at 71:52 – Hour 2

Pam Long sounds the alarm on radio frequency identification technology being implemented in schools across Colorado and the nation. Originally used to track livestock and prevent retail theft, RFID is now being attached to student IDs and bus passes under the premise of school safety. Privacy experts across the political spectrum warn this crosses a critical line, as tracking humans represents an unacceptable expansion of surveillance capabilities.

Long traces the technology’s school implementation back to 2012 pilot programs in Texas, where districts promised millions in additional state funding by tracking students throughout campuses. The reality proved far different: one district invested $261,000 but only recouped $136,000 in state reimbursement from a mere 0.5% attendance increase. When student Andrea Hernandez sued over civil liberties and religious objections, public backlash ultimately ended the program despite a federal court initially ruling against her.

The Children’s Health Defense contributor details how Colorado’s Cherry Creek School District launched an RFID bus pass system in 2022, mandating participation for all students regardless of whether they ride buses. She raises critical questions parents should demand answers to: What data is collected? How is it stored and encrypted? Who can access it? The unencrypted nature of RFID means anyone with a compatible reader can track student locations, potentially including criminals and predators. Long emphasizes that desensitizing a generation to constant tracking in schools paves the way for workplace surveillance.

“I would tell parents that you need to really have audits on these school security systems, because if we do not put boundaries on RFID tracking of humans, this will be common not only in our schools, but in our workplaces as well.”

Pam Long, Children’s Health Defense Contributor

Unprecedented Legal Challenges and 2024 Campaign Shifts

Start listening at 33:25 – Hour 1

Janice Hisle reports on Trump’s recent South Carolina event, where she observed a significant shift in his messaging toward contrasting Bidenomics with his own economic policies. The Epoch Times reporter notes that kitchen table issues, the concerns affecting Americans’ daily lives, traditionally resonate with voters. She describes speaking with a business-owning couple with six children who detailed how current policies are squeezing both their enterprise and family finances.

The conversation turns to the latest indictment, which legal experts view as an attempt to criminalize political speech. Hisle explains the core challenge prosecutors face: proving what was in Trump’s mind when he disputed the election results. She notes that Trump received conflicting advice, with some counseling him to stop pursuing challenges while others, including constitutional attorneys, suggested Vice President Pence had authority to delay certification until state legislatures could convene.

Hisle emphasizes that poll numbers show support for Trump increasing with each successive indictment, though she questions how this dynamic might change with potential additional charges in Georgia. She acknowledges that even critics who dislike his public persona often admit his policies were beneficial, creating what she calls the “messy middle” of voters who separate personality from policy effectiveness.

“The term unprecedented is almost feeling like it’s overused, but there’s not really a lot of other ways to describe accurately what is going on. We’ve never seen this sort of thing happening in our country.”

Janice Hisle, Epoch Times Reporter