welcome.
you will get some flames and some sincere posts. if you are sincere you will find this friendly... if you are a "lurker" then you will be "zotted" and banned. sorry if this happens to you... i got banned at democratic underground after three posts which were simple questions like yours. i agree with many of the replies i've read to your statements, iow, please define and give examples of the erosion of civil liberties etc...
cheers
Lurkers are not necessarily evil. Someone who merely reads posts without replying or maybe even does not register so replies are impossible is a lurker. Most of the readers are lurkers.