The Biggest Threat to Our Freedom

One million American servicemen and women have paid for the freedoms all Americans enjoy, and indeed have a right to, with their lives. Countless thousands have paid with their blood, and tens of millions of Americans have sacrificed in every way imaginable to protect and defend these freedoms.

I for one am unwilling to, in the name of fighting terrorists to give up the freedoms that tens of millions, including myself, have fought, died, and sacrificed for.

Trampling the right of all Americans to due process of law, court protection from unreasonable search and seizure, denial of habeas corpus, long term detention without charge or counsel violate the fundamental elements of American freedom.

I can say without reservation that the biggest threat to the freedom of all Americans does not come from al Qaeda. It comes from a government cloaked in secrecy, one which seeks to hide its actions from view, one that claims for itself the power to spy, detain, detain without charges, torture, cause Americans to Disappear via Rendition to states which not only support, but openly practice torture of prisoners.

No declaration of war exists. Congress did not authorize anything except the ability of the president to use military force necessary to punish and prevent future terrorist attacks on our soil and interests abroad. This in no way gives the president or those in his administration the statutory or constitutional authority to restrict the freedom of Americans to be Americans, and to waive the rights so many have died for.

I will NEVER give up my freedom in the sheep's clothing of protecting me. To give up our rights in the name of a false safety is a far greater risk to America than any terrorist can bring. Our government must never become our enemy. We will not let it.

One more thing. Each year 3 million Americans die of all causes, old age, cancer, auto accidents, heart disease and so on. 3 million. It has been 6 years since 9/11 and 18,000,000 Americans have died of all causes, and not one of them was killed by a terrorist. I am willing to take my chances on getting killed by a terrorist, if the tradeoff is America's freedom, if it means losing our rights and constitution. This is not to say that we should not be concerned, and that reasonable measures should not be taken to prevent attacks, but again, an objective look at the facts would indicate that a national obsession with terrorism serves only the politicians who use the fear of terrorism to get elected.

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