Posted on 06/11/2002 6:39:05 AM PDT by Boonie Rat
Poll: Four in Five Americans Would Give Up Some Freedom for More Security
By Jennifer L. Brown Associated Press Writer
Published: Jun 11, 2002
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Four in five Americans would give up some freedoms to gain security and four in 10 worry terrorists will harm them or their family, a new Gallup poll shows.
About one-third of those polled favor making it easier for authorities to access private e-mail and telephone conversations. More than 70 percent are in favor of requiring U.S. citizens to carry identification cards with fingerprints, and 77 percent believe all Americans should have smallpox vaccinations.
"It was amazing the percentage of people who are willing to give up freedom to get back some sense of personal security," said Elaine Christiansen, senior research director for The Gallup Organization. "These aren't people who were necessarily near the twin towers, near the Pentagon, near the Murrah building. These are average people."
The telephone survey, conducted in March, included 934 people across the country. Researchers also polled about 500 people in each of three cities where terrorist attacks occurred - New York City, Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma City - to compare results with the general population survey.
The poll showed 8 percent of Americans are very worried and 31 percent are somewhat worried that they or someone in their family will become victims of a terrorist attack in the United States. In New York City, the level of worry is higher - 19 percent said they are very worried and 34 percent said they are somewhat worried.
Washington, D.C, and Oklahoma City reported levels of fear close to the national average.
Scientists involved in the poll said they were not surprised many Americans remain fearful after Sept. 11.
"The magnitude of the event was just so profound," said Carol North, a psychiatry professor at Washington University in St. Louis, who said talk of the war in Afghanistan, airline security and terrorist threats is propelling the fear.
The study was co-sponsored by The University of Oklahoma psychiatry department through a grant from the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. The main survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, while the margin of error for the survey in the three cities is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Meanwhile, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that 60 percent of New York City residents think the threat of a terrorist attack in their city is greater than it is in any other big city.
Barely 40 percent of respondents believe the city is safer than it had been four years ago, a decrease of 20 percent from those polled in August. Even so, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said that given a choice, they would prefer to be living in the city four years from now than any other place.
The poll, conducted by telephone in English or Spanish June 4 through Sunday, surveyed 940 adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
You are so right.
It cannot be emphasized enough.
We do not need to give up our liberties if common sense prevails.
Unfortunately, our socialist/secular humanist infected federal bureaucracy has none.
So let me be sure I understand you. We give up our freedom to keep freedom?
I will not insult you, but will count you among the 80%. Nor do I find that an odd position as I suspect that during the Revolution most of the country would have preferred that safety be maintained and a little freedom could be sacrificed.
"Once the government seizes a power it never gives it back."
Ben Franklin would have said we need to use whatever means available to survive and destroy the enemy (radical Islam...the pieceful religion).
Under who's discretion would this "certain" restrictions that are to be lifted fall? Who would these people be accountable to? Bush and his CFR cronies?
George Washington
What an insane comment. If women are more concerned about their families than men....then we have a real problem...with the men.
My eyesight is crystal clear.
You are so full of crap to assume Ben Franklin is an ends justifies the means type of guy...where the hell do you get this? Which portion of his writings would give credibility to this absurd statement?
Are you willing to give up more freedom for PERCEIVED security?
The government cannot guarantee security to any individual citizen. It's all perception based on illusion. Nothing is worth giving up freedom -- not even life itself.
I see you're still whining.
If you're that unhappy here in the good old USA, I suggest you move, to a place more your liking.
Roper So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law!
More Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
Roper I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
More Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you - where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast - man's laws, not God's - and if you cut them down - and you're just the man to do it - d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.
Last time I checked the US has in its arsenal a number of local, state, federal and global law enforcement and intelligence agencies with tremendous power, reach, influence and resources. And now goofs like you want to give them even more authority. IMO they have more than enough to protect this country.
Seems you don't understand this. Re-read what I said.
>>>I will not insult you, but will count you among the 80%.
You just engaged in an insult. The title of the article speaks for itself. It appears you never passed reading comprehension in grade school.
We American's who support making sacrifices for the patriotic good of our country, aren't morons. In all wars, throughout US history, the American people have made sacrifices. That includes during the Revolutionary War.
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