Last week, while cramming several more chapters of work in school, studying like crazy for finals, and working every night of Memorial Day Weekend, I read a truly decent book.
When I found time to do that, I have absolutely no idea. Probably when I was neglecting my law studies or lazily procrastinating my geometry homework, but nonetheless I read a book that really made me think.
Those are the best kind of books – the ones that leave you to think about them for hours afterward. The kind of books that you pick up and don’t put down until you’re done, even if you stay up super late to finish it. The kind of book that you re-write your ENTIRE fourth quarter book report because you actually found an interesting read.
Yes, I did that. But even though it took me three hours and another homework-filled night tomorrow, I did complete it.
The book was titled The Bar Code, by Suzanne Weyn. It took place in the future, in 2025, and it portrayed a young girl of 17, Kayla, who lives in a world of technologically advanced studies.
Everyone living in 2025 was required, by the government, to receive a “bar code” tattoo on their wrists. This tattoo contained all vital information: drivers license, I.D., medical records, school records, everything.
But the problem was, stores, malls, toll booths, and all important buildings had built-in scanners which picked up and tracked the tattoo owners’ whereabouts; in short, the government would have complete and total tracking of your location at all times.
This book portrayed an important issue – American people and their rights. How far will the government go to invade peoples’ lives? There have been instances already in our history – the Watergate scandal, the Patriot Act wiretapping – that show the government, in the past, has not been above wire-tapping and illegal bugging.
But how far will it go? What can we do to stop it?
This fictional story impacted my thoughts. It cleared out my finals worries and my softball season ideas and made me think about what could happen. My generation, our generation, the teen-age generation, needs to stand up and take control of government. We need to work towards making a difference, even a little difference, in our community.
I’m not saying that our government is going to force tattoos onto our wrists anytime soon. I don’t think anyone would do that. But we do need to stand up for our beliefs and our rights, and protect those freedoms before it is too late.
Davis, 17, of Green Greek, is a sophomore at the Technical High School.
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