September 25, 2001
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Use It Or Lose It
Just_Margie says: “Sadly, I think our civil liberties will be the first thing to go during these weird times.”
This inspires in me a question: What, exactly, is different now than before 9/11, in terms of threats to national security? Before 9/11, it was possible to hijack planes and fly them into buildings. The possibility for destruction by terrorism remains as high now as before, even though the government wants to assure us that it isn’t. We weren’t in any *less* danger before 9/11 simply because we were *ignorant* of that danger.
So what has changed? My answer: We’re frustrated and angry and fearful. We’re awake to the kind of suffering the rest of the world has been going through all this time.
Which brings me to my point: How is it that throwing away our civil rights out of fear and frustration amounts to anything good?
Comments (10)
You have a good point there, mister.
The Duchess
If someone could answer the question adequately, I’d be grateful, but I doubt anyone will.
“We’re awake to the kind of suffering the rest of the world has been going through all this time.”
That’s a very true statement. That’s why we can’t continue to ignore how vulnerable we have allowed ourselves to be in the name of personal freedom. The rest of the world has had to make sacrifices in order to attempt to control this kind of attack. I guess it’s our turn now.
That’s the best answer I’ve got.
So, freedom doesn’t work?
sad to say, part of the price to pay for “freedom” is the dangers it brings: crime, terrorism, pat robertson….
i hope our new security measures don’t turn america into more of a police state!
Maybe not as much freedom as we’ve had. Hub and I have talked about this a lot. He’s pretty freaked about every right we lose or have restricted. If you want peace in the streets then you can’t allow people to fight in them. You may have a perfectly legitimate reason to fight. But, it’s against the law. If we don’t want terrorists blowing up planes we’re going to have to get our shit searched and that still not might do any good. It depends on what we want in the end. Does that make any sense? Would I be willing to give up privacy on the internet to insure that nothing like 9/11 ever happens again? Yes. I’m just afraid of how far it will go… I really, actually agree with you. I am willing to give up a few liberties. But, I don’t want to end up willing to fight to get them back because it’s gone too far.
Which of your three questions do you want an answer for? It seems unclear to me.
The Duchess
It’s actually two questions: What has changed? and What does it serve to throw our civil rights out the window because we’re frustrated?
I’d prefer answers to the latter, but the former would be good, too.
Wait…how could stricter airport regulations lead up to loss of Freedom? Will loss of knife privilages lead to a loss of something else?
Interesting blog relating to this topic from Grnize.
As for answers, I really cannot comfortably claim that I have any solid ones to those particular questions. On one hand, SO MUCH has changed, on the other, nothing has changed.
The Duchess
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