Thursday, May 11, 2006

Security gained, freedom lost

September 11, 2001 was a terrifying day for the United States, so terrifying that Americans had felt they needed to sacrifice their own freedom in order to secure the nations borders. Are the policies that have been placed the reason why there has not been an at large terrorist attack on U.S. soil, or are the policies something that just let us sleep well at night.

The NSA has been accussed by USA TODAY for secretly forming a database of those who call overseas. President Bush urges, we, the "good, law abiding" citizens have nothing to fear as they are only after those who are connected to terrorist networks as Al Qaeda.

And who shall decide upon the qualifications of what is to be called a terrorist?

Who decides what qualifies as a connection with a terrorist network?

Furthermore, how do we know that the governement is not in connection with the terrorist networks?

The U.S. Government has helped many terrorist networks but labelled them as something else, and yet want to take the choice away from the U.S. citizen of who he can help or cannot. Certainly we have to think upon our safety, but when is it too much?

  • An immigrant calling home to check on his mother may be labelled as connected with a terrorist just for the known fact a terrorist is in the area.
  • Those in media may be considered in connection with terrorist because they had interviewed them. Its not the first time a reporter has received the chance to interview an enemy. Think of Saddam Hussein's interview before the war...
  • Political opponents, they may have no connection rather than heading overseas to shake hands with the military to secure the vote, and they could be considered as assisting terrorists.

How far should we let the government go to insure safety. If it means a loss of so much freedom... The civil rights leaders had said it best, as they would have rather died free then live a slave. As quoted from Martin Luther King Jr.'s tomb in Atlanta, Ga. "I'm Free. I'm Free. Thank you Lord. I am finally Free."

1 comment:

Melissa said...

:P Glad to see you found me.

"Someone in macro class" Hah! See ya Monday.

~"Melissa"