The bottom line is that our elected officials are required to protect us. Can they completely protect us while perfectly respecting civil liberties? NO. Do the American people demand complete protection? Absolutely. The American people are willing to sacrifice an enormous amount of civil liberties in times of conflict to obtain as complete a protection from foreign aggression as possible. I wish there was a geographic realm where we could put those more interested in civil liberties than bodily safety. I wonder how long they would choose freedom for terrorists in their midst over the safety of their children going to school in the morning? Unless you believe there were only nineteen terrorists in America on September 11 then there are terrorists in our midst. I demand that the government protect my family from these terrorists at "virtually" any cost. I would like to know how I will receive the best possible protection without infringing the rights of some innocent people. I am not willing to sacrifice the lives of my family or loved ones in the cause of respecting civil liberties completely during a time of conflict with an enemy as insidious as Bin Laden's suicide bombers.
by Tristan Traviolia on December 7, 2001 at 6:12 AM