America Approves Limits to Liberties

The Detroit News ^ | September 16, 2001 | Cameron McWhirter

[riley1992]

Those limits to liberties are acceptable to Metro Detroiters and most other Americans. A Detroit News poll Thursday found that 88 percent of Metro Detroiters are willing to "accept restrictions on movements such as metal detectors and military personnel in public places" to increase the nation's security from terrorist attacks.

[riley1992]

The problem with that is, once those liberties are removed due to war time, you face a very good chance of not having them returned to you. Certain measures need to be taken for sure. However, we need to be extremely cautious as to what we give up in the name of patriotism.

[The Raven]

Are we now rethinking confiscation of guns???? I haven't heard much about the second amendment recently.

[ICU812]

Bookmark. Saw this coming.

Kill the bad guys, don't take our liberties!

[riley1992]

They wouldn't dare try it now. That would be tantamount to an open invitation for a revolution.

[CDHart]

"But then again, you knew that as soon as the second plane hit didn't you. Sigh...."

Yes -- I was watching the attack with co-workers and the first thing I said was "there goes the rest of our freedoms." We knew it would take something horrendous to achieve this reaction. I think I'm going into a deep depression.

Carolyn

[another1]

I suspected but held out some faint hope that not all would cede so quickly. Once again, I have been shown the error of my ways.

It was necessary to seize upon the fear and grief and anger of the moment.

The problem with that is, once those liberties are removed due to war time, you face a very good chance of not having them returned to you.

We are being conditioned to accept the fact that this "war" has no termination point. All the press conferences, radio addresses, etc. are flat out telling us to expect that. There will always be fanatical terrorists somewhere in the world, so there will always be a "need" to incrementally reduce liberties in order to "protect" us.

From the article:

Rademaker, 48, the Corporate Protective Services manager who is president of the Detroit security council, has worked as a security consultant for decades and has handled clients including MGM Grand, Comerica Park, the Detroit Institute of Arts and other major venues. He said he was confident Americans would accept the coming changes, in part because they already have been accepting incremental changes for years.

Heart and gut wrenchingly true. And so it goes. I weep for what is gone forever.

[Maquisard]

And just remember folks, If you don't tote the govenment line, Then you will find yourself named a "Terrorist".

[diotima]

You should take a look at some of the other threads around here. Plenty of people think it fine to give the government the authority to kick down the door of US citizens (who might be Muslims) and throw them out. That's right, not just people with Visas, expired visas, or illegals, but Citizens. I can't wait for a society where the JBT's, who we all know have a history of accuracy, knock down people's doors because they got a "secret tip" that there might be a Koran lying around.

I understand that people are upset and disturbed by the recent terrorist attacks, but there is no sense to rashly enacting measures that have no practical effect in safeguarding us.

Oh yeah...I am certain Dickie G is concerned about my civil liberties...

[Cable225]

Yes -- I was watching the attack with co-workers and the first thing I said was "there goes the rest of our freedoms"

C'mon, will ya? The World Trade Center is in flames, people are throwing themselves out of buildings, reports are coming in about an attack at the Pentagon, and the FIRST thing you said to yourself was "there goes the rest of our freedoms"?

Like we say here in New Jersey (where we watched the towers burn from across the river), "if you're gonna talk s**t, make it believable".

I don't know where you live, but New York City is a real place to us. We visit there and work there, it's not just images on your tv from your office. The reality has been driven home in a way people from other parts of the country cannot possibly imagine.

And one other thing, we are in a state of war. If it takes longer to board a commercial flight, or I see some armed guards around, I'm not going to think I'm living in a police state. I wasn't around during WWII, but am I incorrect in saying that some of the basics of life were being rationed? Didn't we put Japanese in interrment camps? Weren't there curfews in some areas? None of those things are still in place, are they?

Get a grip, man.

[riley1992]

I posted another thread this morning about a poll taken in Metro Detroit whose outcome was that while a majority of people do not blame the local Arab community for the terrorist acts, a majority of them also approve of targeting anyone Arabic looking who are found to be travelling on an airliner.

Unbelievably emotional and knee jerk and not at all surprising.

[another1]

I don't know where you live, but New York City is a real place to us.

The United States of America is a real place to all of us. The Bill of Rights was once real for all of us.

[diotima]

You have to wonder if anyone thinks this stuff through? How can we possibly determine who is/is not a good or bad arab? There are arabs here that are Christians, there are caucasion people that are Muslim. What precisely would be involved in discerning who we "handle?"

The road to hell is paved with good intentions....

[Cable225]

The United States of America is a real place to all of us. The Bill of Rights was once real for all of us.>

Conveniently, you didn't address any of my points about WWII. Of course, real-world examples and facts might get in the way of your whining.

Your countrymen are dead, killed by a senseless act by faceless cowards. We are at war, the country is being called to sacrifice by our Commander-in-Chief.

You guys are complaining about lines at airports and extra surveillance. Wake up and smell the coffee, you're act is tired.

[Libloather]

You guys are complaining about lines at airports and extra surveillance...

The Liberteens are extremists. Get used to it...

[another1]

We are at war, the country is being called to sacrifice by our Commander-in-Chief.

What are the terms of this "war"? How will we know when it is over? How is victory defined?

real-world examples and facts might get in the way of your whining

It is not I who am whining for safety and protection no matter what the cost to the principles upon which our nation was founded. Read the article again.

Conveniently, you didn't address any of my points about WWII.

Several things - no, those things are no longer in place but they have been supplanted by less obvious "incremental" incursions on personal liberties. Furthermore, nothing in the article or any speeches I have heard indicate that the legislation being passed right now is of a "temporary" nature. Still, let's assume that it is all "temporary" - have you heard any specification of the duration? Have the terms and conditions of our new "war" been defined? Everything I have seen and heard suggests "open-ended, indefinite, and unlimited." I would be much encouraged by some documentable information to the contrary (aside from your "feelings," that is).

[SUSSA]

The terrorists already won. They wanted to destroy our way of life and congress is doing the job for them.

[Caipirabob]

Agreed, wholeheartedly. My biggest concern is that we do declare war, and that such compromises are not made without the proper perspective of why they are being made. We do not want to allow such limitations to become the standard by which Americans live their lives. A declared state of war would make the difference between caution and tyranny. We all know there are those (RATS) who would have us willingly sacrifice our freedoms without due cause. We cannot play into their hands. Still, I will say, I have complete confidence in the President's ability to lead this nation. I believe he is the right man at the right time. We are very fortunate to have such a man in the Oval Office at this time in history as opposed to some felon who would have most likely be "servicing" interns at his desk while the nation burned.

[DWSUWF]

There are ALWAYS those slobbering, room-temperature IQ shills who are willing to stand in line with their liberties in a paper bag, waiting to hand them to a soldier armed with a gun in exchange for a paper chit with the word 'Security' written on it.

These liberty scorning pigs are FAR greater threats to our nation than the terrorists who attacked us.

And they (together with the home-grown fascists who are dictating to them) deserve to suffer precisely the same fate.

[verity]

""My 5-year-old daughter asked me, 'Are they (terrorists) coming to Graham Elementary next?' " Vespa related. "I said, 'Honey, I hope not, we're going to do everything we can to keep you safe.even though we follow riley1992's advice to paint a big bullseye on your school. "