Protecting basic American liberties while keeping America safe is a delicate balancing act.
During these times when terrorists are at work, the Attorney General of the United States is asking for legislation to restrict American citizens in exercising basic freedoms. Policy makers should be cautious about restricting freedoms in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
American citizens are understandably nervous and angry over liberties that allow terrorists to plot the country’s destruction and learn to fly planes and take college courses to carry out their evil deeds. There is a desire to restrict the movements and rights of legal immigrants to prevent the horrible Sept. 11 tragedy.
American citizens, of course, are submitting without difficulty to searches in the process of boarding an airplane. They do not mind the wait while barriers narrow roadways.
They understand the need to lock doors of public buildings, leaving one guarded open doorway.
More basic rights, however, are under scrutiny by policymakers who want to give the Attorney General the tools to prevent terrorism.
Wiretapping phones, reading E-mails and taking credit card data from private business are measures that should be protected from government investigating without appropriate permission and warrants.
There is a desire to restrict movements and rights of legal immigrants by arresting and deporting them without due process in the courts. No American wants to see a repeat of imprisoning Americans similar to the imprisoning of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Searching apartments of immigrants without warrants in hopes of finding a terrorist also should be avoided. Jailing suspicious foreigners for extended periods without due process is questionable.
Freedom of speech should not be curtailed and those in authority should tell American citizens what they have a right to know rather than censor information, except where there is a need to classify data to protect the country.
Some will argue that in these times when the country is at war there is a need to clamp down on people and change laws to make the country more secure. While this has appeal, a loss of liberty to control one group of Americans is of course a loss of liberties to all.
Editor’s note: This editorial was a product of the ECM Editorial Board.
