Don't Trade Rights for Security

"Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporarywould 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, 1776protecting their freedom instead of sitting by
In the wake of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attackspassively and letting the Islamic fundamentalists take
around the world, there is a real temptation to allowover.
the government to take away some of our mostWhat 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 freehave 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 takeWhat about Nazi Germany? Could Hitler's rise to
advantage of our freedom and use it as anpower 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 directiontheir lives?
and could represent a slippery slope toward furtherWhat if George Washington, John Adams, Thomas
erosion of our rights. Write your Representative andJefferson, and the other Founding Fathers would
Senators and ask them to repeal the U.S.A. Patriothave 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 soonfreedom? 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 ofwas 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 andme 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 havefearful individuals out there who are lobbying
been under Castro's repressive regime for 45 yearsCongress to limit our First and Second Amendment,
how they feel now. I bet many of them wish theyhabeas corpus, and other rights even further. We
would have been a little more "obsessive andmust let our voices be heard or the voices of those
overzealous" about their freedom in 1959, instead ofpeople will be the only ones they hear. It only takes
standing by passively when the communists tooka 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 therights 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 themliberty is no vice.