NYPD cannot infiltrate our privacy

As Americans, we are entitled to the right of privacy. However, recent media reports have proven that this is not the case for some CUNY students.

It was reported that the Muslim student groups on campus at several CUNY colleges, especially Brooklyn College, were infiltrated by the New York Police Department (NYPD) officers, acting in collaboration with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

However, after further investigation, it was found that there was no evidence of intrusion at Baruch College.

The incident at Brooklyn College raised more than just a few eyebrows.

According to Associated Press, the NYPD placed undercover agents inside the school, following their Internet activity, and building databases based on where the Muslims went and what they did.

The NYPD photographed restaurants and grocery stores that cater to these Muslim student organizations.

This incident proved to be an eye-opener for many us who consider ourselves "American." As an American, we are all entitled the same basic rights under the Bill of Rights, and we are all innocent until proven guilty.

However, this basic principle seems to have gone out the window when the CIA decided to undertake this mission.

This makes us question what other rights we will have to forgo, and whether or not the Constitution simply means nothing.

Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, Muslims have been under the watchful eyes of everyone. But since when do the actions of a few individuals determine the norm for an entire group.

As Americans, we all seem to have forgotten about the fact that people are declared innocent until proven guilty and spying on people infringes on their right to privacy.

Every individual should be able to have his or her privacy. What information could the CIA have received that would make the infiltration of this college a top priority?

To that question, we may never receive the answer, but we as the public should at least be informed about some information about this situation.

Without so much as a comment to the students as to why they were spied on, both the NYPD and CIA virtually become non-responsive and have not released a statement as yet.

Throughout this controversy, it is unclear whether or not the administrators at Brooklyn College knew about this plan from the start.

It seems impossible that the people in higher positions in the college would not know about this. How else will the NYPD be able to infiltrate the school? It seems all too convenient that no one wants to talk about this issue.

Spying on someone takes away his or her right, and more importantly, it should  not take place in a public space, namely colleges.  

If the CIA and the NYPD wanted to spy on Muslim groups at Brooklyn College, the college should have made sure that they had all the information that proved these groups were participating in terrorist activities and then gone after them. Instead, they did the opposite.

Last week, a spokesperson of the City University of New York responded that the school officials knew nothing about the infiltration and the police has not acknowledged to administrators that such an operation existed.

Legal analysts say that the operation may have broken private U.S. laws with the colleges, putting federal research grant and student financial aid in danger.

The NYPD has violated a 1992 memorandum of a pact between CUNY and the NYPD.

The statement says that when during non-emergency situations, the police officials "shall enter upon CUNY campuses, buildings and other property only upon the request or approval of a CUNY official."

43 professors at CUNY Law School sent out statements that the NYPD's undercover operation has violated Civil Rights laws, especially those of student.

The Constitution was written to protect the basic rights of man, not take them away from us. By spying on groups of college students, the NYPD and CIA proved that they are above the law and the rights of people mean nothing to them.

Just because we are students, it does not mean that out rights should be forfeited.

As Americans, we all deserve the same rights, until it has been proven that we are indeed guilty of something.