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.

[another1]

That was way, way over the line. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Libloather]

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.

How about that one? Over the line?

[riley1992]

Do you have anything constructive to say or is your specialty simply retarded replies?

When you manage to locate what little remaining grey matter you have, show me where I advocate targeting elementary schools, you idiot.

[riley1992]

How about that one? Over the line?

Yes, that was absolutely over the line, also. What is your point?

[another1]

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.

The statement you quoted was strong, but I believe a general reference to a particular type of person as described above. I see no personal attack on any poster here, or specified in the article. The post to which I responded specifically and personally attacked an individual posting here.

[Valin]

A local talkshow host always says "Beware of law and order liberal" we might want to ask them just which one of our liberties they want to destroy?

[dbbeebs]

can we make it illegal to burn the Flag?

The flag is merely a symbol. People symbolically burn the flag. To criminalize that act would be to restrict speech.

[gjenkins]

How do we combat terrorism without destroying liberty? I would propose that the only way is if we 1. Quickly and overwhelmingly punish those responsible 2. Show that it does not change our life in the least and therfore is futile.

[Don Myers]

The socialists are getting what they have wanted all along. Isn't anyone smelling something wierd yet?

[HENRYADAMS]

When people lack the necessary internal controls and confuse license with liberty then it becomes necessary that controls be imposed from external sources. This is a law eternal.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The "freedom versus security" tradeoff is a false choice. 

The WTC attack did not occur because Americans have too much freedom. 

It occurred because:

1. U.S. border/immigration policy (or selective enforcement thereof) allowed known terrorists to enter and remain in the country while attending flight school.

2. The terrorists were able to gain access to the cockpits of the hijacked aircraft.

The fact that William Cohen, Dick Gephardt and other statists propound that the only solution to terrorism is to "trade freedom for security" betrays the reality that their true agenda is to curtail freedom.

[another1]

The frenzy of fear and blood lust have replaced both sense of smell and sense of reason for many.

[gjenkins]

The law of the least common denominator. It is eternal for those who are scared.

[gjenkins]

Those are technicalities, which should be addressed. It occured because they knew they could strike fear in our hearts, change our way of life, and force us to magnify and solidify our loyalties in the middle east.

[watcher1]

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

Yep! Welcome to 1984....Your papers please

[Don Myers]

I am afraid that you are right.

[Ferris]

Get a grip people!!! We are being played!!! There is so much more to this than meets the eye... Those in power are counting on your ignorance and fear to allow them to tighten the shackles around your neck... Never to be loosened again...

It is completely astounding how there are so many who are wholly willing to sacrifice the very things that make us American and descend further into slavery and the police state under the guises of "protection"... Protection that will, of course, never come...

THERE ARE THOSE IN POWER WHO ARE SECRETLY ECSTATIC ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, AND THEY CAN'T WAIT TO BRING OUT MORE "TERRORISM" BILLS TO TAKE AWAY MORE OF YOUR FREEDOM!!!!

Bin Laden could not have done this on his own... He had help... Help much closer to home than we could ever imagine....

Wake the f@%k up people!!!

[IronJack]

We now all understand changes have to be made for our safety, and we must accept that."

We must NEVER accept that. It is an admission that the loonies won.

[NC_Libertarian]

The problem is that once liberty is taken away we will never have it again in The United States of America. I am extremely concerned with all the reports detailing how prepared we are to give up our liberties (I hear this alot on NPR). I am prepared fight our enemies, I am willing to give my life. I am not prepared, however, to give up any more freedom, after all that is what we are fighting for.

I heard on NPR this morning about expanding police powers, things the federal police have been working on for some time now, and now they have an excuse and it may easily happen. This included - national identiy cards tied to finger-printing and other bio-metrics (such as face recognition software). Also broader powers to eaves drop on private communication including secure computer and voice communication.

Surely we need to get better control on the enemy in our borders, so what's the solution? I don't know, but I'm very very concerned.