Posted on 06/26/2002 7:32:16 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty G-d! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"Those worrying about the lack of safety in this time of crisis find comfort in the remarks of George W. Bush: "Our war on terror...will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated." The problem with this is that there is no end in sight to this "war," and as long as that remains the case, the government will continue trying to convince us that we should be willing to sacrifice some liberty for safety.
Patrick HenryAccording to a national poll taken recently by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, seven out of 10 Americans said that they would give up at least some of their civil liberties to improve security. That shouldn't be at all surprising considering the overwhelming ignorance of the American people when it comes to their knowledge of history, the founders, and the Constitution.
The same poll showed that about 90 percent of Americans—apparently under the assumption that since they don't belong to a late-18th Century militia, they don't have the right to keep and bear arms — favor having more police assigned to patrol public areas. 70 percent believe that there should be a law requiring adults to carry a national ID card with their photograph and Social Security number, and roughly half support the idea of random police searches in public places. Josef Stalin would be proud.
It is clear that most of America is behind the president and all of his efforts to eradicate terrorism, but, thankfully, there are a few individuals out there who insist on clinging to the Constitution. They are incensed at the idea of Uncle Sam asking them to give up even the smallest right. They realize that doing so would be to hand victory to the terrorists on a silver platter.
These people, whether they realize it or not, are liberty's strongest allies in this "war." While others hurl insults and accusations, claiming that any attempt to detract from the plans of our president and his administration is tantamount to treason, these "liberty lunatics" refuse to "go along to get along." They refuse to be silenced. They will not concede that this "war" needs to be won at all costs.
When terrorists attacked our shores on Sept. 11, the fear-mongers immediately launched into their tirades against critics of U.S. foreign policy, particularly those questioning our support for Israel. They talked about how the actions of our government had absolutely nothing to do with the hatred Islamic fundamentalists have for our nation and how adopting a more isolationist position on global matters would be to cave in to terrorist threats. All this, of course, is nonsense.
While this is the 21st Century, and globalization is all the rage, one of the primary goals of the federal government should be to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements. Our forefathers knew the dangers of an interventionist foreign policy and warned against actions that could inevitably bring harm to American citizens and our system of government. I realize that some believe we should strive to remain a global military superpower, but that shouldn't come at the expense of the Constitution. If that document was good enough for our nation 200-plus years ago, it should be good enough for us today.
Ronald Reagan once called us to be a "city on a hill," but that should not be construed to mean "might makes right." The beacon of liberty would shine much brighter if we began focusing on preserving the Constitution and the freedoms it was designed to protect rather than concerning ourselves with how intimidating we can be. If we do that, we cannot help but prevail against the threat of terrorism.
We need to be more skeptical of government whenever it tells us it is doing something for our own good. We should voice our criticism each time we see another freedom taken away in the name of security. The president — especially as Commander in Chief — is still bound to honor his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, and, in doing so, needs to be aware that there are limits to what he can do, even if he believes that what he is doing is in the best interests of the nation. Case in point, the Patriot Act.
When President Bush signed the Patriot Act, I believe that he thought he was doing what was best for the country. However, good intentions do not necessarily translate into good laws. Those who criticized the Patriot Act did so not only on constitutional grounds but on historical grounds as well. There has always been a tendency for Washington politicians to interpret ambiguous legislation in ways that serve to increase the size and scope of government.
If the above poll is any indication, this administration will feel vindicated no matter what steps it takes in the name of fighting terrorism. As long as the poll numbers are there, our elected officials will not allow petty little obstacles like the Constitution get in their way of doing "the will of the people." Re-election and party politics far outweigh any real concern they may have for the erosion of liberty.
Those who insist on holding firm to the Constitution realize that what they are asking would make the government's job harder — and that's the point. The Constitution was written to prevent those in authority from acquiring more power than was absolutely necessary. As we have seen throughout history, civil liberties given up during times of crisis have a strange tendency to vanish altogether. Still, some people think the trade-off is worth it. Shouldn't we do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our homes and our children?
Imagine if that attitude had prevailed over two centuries ago. One could argue that the early colonists would have certainly felt much safer had they only agreed to abide by the mandates of the British Empire. Instead, they decided that liberty was too important to them, and they risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to stand for what they believed.
Our forefathers realized that safety could be overrated. Liberty is what counts, even during times of crisis. After all, if we were to lose our liberty, safety would be nothing but a distant memory.
Trolling for Lee R. Shelton IV are we?
*WRITER'S NOTE: Sorry, no disclaimer this time. Unlike last week's column, this is not a satirical piece.Apology accepted ;-)
We are not at war. We are in another "police action".
...fail to take reasonable precautions...
Action in Afganistan aside, we are taking only unreasonable precautions and doing those in an unprofessional manner.
There is no excuse to relinquish your rights and liberties. Terrorists can be properly dealt with even when all rights and liberties remain intact.
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?"
Oops, meant to say in this paragraph the "war on Terror." Not enough sleep last night, but in a way I do wonder if it IS a "war on FReedom" too? We must be careful! Liberty, Freedom is everything. Without it our lives aren't worth a damn.
In a heartbeat.
The truth is that every one of us is already a slave to the comforts we enjoy here.
Speak for yourself.
Our forefathers realized that safety could be overrated. Liberty is what counts, even during times of crisis. After all, if we were to lose our liberty, safety would be nothing but a distant memory.
Bears repeating (loudly and often).
Here's a BUMP
Apology given!
After last weeks "hoodwinking" by Mr. Lee R. Shelton IV, I wasn't taking any chances.
In a word? Yes.
The author, Mr. Lee R. Shelton IV , last week, posted an article which appeared to be in earnest but which in fact was satire, possibly trolling for reaction. ( in the full article it stated it was satire, however it wasn't so noted in his post )
A coward dies a thousand deaths. When you lose freedom, you die a little at a time.As Rush quotes Dr. Edlers 'we all have to die someday'. (Besides what is coming out of Washington is just elect-me CYA - if something happens it's "I told you so". If nothing happens "We prevented it".)
If we want to be 'secure' end foreign war entanglements.
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