Adventures in My Mind
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Sep 17, 2001
"History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure."
--Thurgood Marshall.
Do not allow the events of last Tuesday to usurp your freedoms and liberties. Security gained at the cost of freedom is a hollow achievement. It is only through the constant and unabridged practice of individual liberty that the intruding fears of last week can be mitigated. Every restriction, every regulation, every supposedley necessary safeguard will be a constant reminder of those tragic events.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
--Benjamin Franklin
True safety cannot be found at the sacrificial alter of liberty. And I'm not talking about the lack of curb-side check-in or any of the other lame attempts to make us feel safe over the last six days. I'm talking about the fevered dreams of reactionaries and so-called progressives alike who are threatened by an unfettered populace; those whose world view can only be fostered through control of thought, speech, and action; those who will pounce on this tragedy as an opportunity to rob us of essential freedoms.
The media is already awash in talk of giving up liberty in the face of our newest national tragedy. We cannot let this happen. We must demand that our government more successfully discharge its most important duty: protecting us from our enemies. The intelligence community should be chided for its utter lack of preparedness. Our president and legislators should be held accountable for not heeding level-headed warnings. The airline industry should be taken to task for not designing and building impenetrable cockpits. These are the things that must be done. The erosion of personal liberty will be the easiest step for government officials who make distinguished careers out avarice, inactivity, and an almost preternatural ability to avoid the hard choices. We must demand that they work harder.
If this is indeed a time of war, then let us view those who died on Tuesday as heroes. Let us see them in the same congratulatory light that we view our veterans of foreign war. Let us place 5000 new names on the roster of those who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom and liberty. And above all, let us not dim their memories by giving in to fear.
Ask your government what they mean when they talk about "reduced freedoms."
The Whitehouse
The Senate
The House of Representatives
And don't forget your state, county, and local goverments either!
P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 3:35 PM
