| "Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary | | | | would tell you they wish they would have been a |
| safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety." | | | | little more "obsessive and overzealous" about |
| -- Ben Franklin, 1776 | | | | protecting their freedom instead of sitting by |
| In the wake of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks | | | | passively and letting the Islamic fundamentalists take |
| around the world, there is a real temptation to allow | | | | over. |
| the government to take away some of our most | | | | What about North Korea? Could a few more |
| precious rights in exchange for greater security. We | | | | "obsessive and overzealous" defenders of freedom |
| must resist this temptation. In order to have a free | | | | have prevented that country becoming the |
| society, there are certain prices that have to be paid. | | | | communist threat to the world that it is today? |
| One of those is the possibility that someone will take | | | | What about Nazi Germany? Could Hitler's rise to |
| advantage of our freedom and use it as an | | | | power have been nipped in the bud if his opponents |
| opportunity to endanger us. So what if they do? | | | | had been a little more "obsessive and overzealous" |
| Giving up any part of our freedom is not the answer. | | | | instead of being so timid? Could we have used a few |
| In fact, that's exactly what the terrorists want. | | | | more "obsessive and overzealous" defenders of civil |
| When we do that, they win. | | | | liberties in Germany when six million Jews were losing |
| The U.S.A. Patriot Act is a step in the wrong direction | | | | their lives? |
| and could represent a slippery slope toward further | | | | What if George Washington, John Adams, Thomas |
| erosion of our rights. Write your Representative and | | | | Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers would |
| Senators and ask them to repeal the U.S.A. Patriot | | | | have just given in to England's demands instead of |
| Act and avoid passing similar legislation in the future. | | | | being so "obsessive and overzealous" about their |
| If we don't do something soon, the U.S. could soon | | | | freedom? And Patrick Henry? Surely he was an |
| have policies similar to many communist, fascist, and | | | | "obsessive and overzealous" person if there ever |
| Islamic fundamentalist countries, all under the guise of | | | | was one. Why he was even "obsessive and |
| greater security! | | | | overzealous" enough to say "give me liberty or give |
| People have accused me of being "obsessive and | | | | me death" and really mean it! |
| overzealous" on this issue but that's okay with me. | | | | There are plenty of well-meaning but misguided and |
| Ask some of the senior citizens in Cuba who have | | | | fearful individuals out there who are lobbying |
| been under Castro's repressive regime for 45 years | | | | Congress to limit our First and Second Amendment, |
| how they feel now. I bet many of them wish they | | | | habeas corpus, and other rights even further. We |
| would have been a little more "obsessive and | | | | must let our voices be heard or the voices of those |
| overzealous" about their freedom in 1959, instead of | | | | people will be the only ones they hear. It only takes |
| standing by passively when the communists took | | | | a few minutes to make a difference. Of course, it |
| over. Look what it's gotten them! | | | | doesn't take any time at all to sit back and let your |
| If some of those currently under Islamic rule in the | | | | rights completely erode. The choice is yours. |
| Arab world were free to say what they thought | | | | "I would remind you that extremism in defense of |
| about their situations now, I bet many of them | | | | liberty is no vice. |