Are We Really That Afraid?

[CrackpotAmerica]

I put this out to all of you:

Are we so desperately afraid that we are willing to waive our civil rights one by one until we are left with none? Are we so completely terrified that we willingly allow the very government that is charged with serving us to gain complete control of our lives?

I have watched many disturbing reports recently showing average citizens waiving their fourth amendment rights under the premise of their belief that the "inconvenience" is worth it for "safety's" sake.

Honestly, I can not begin to fathom why anyone, after all this country has gone through, would have that perspective.

The press should be there to protect us from the government; but sadly, todays news is designed to frighten us right out of what makes us American.

Here is an example: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/22/transit.security.ap/index.html

Are we so insulated from reality that we cannot fend for ourselves? The government has no right to intrude on anyone without reason. These "random" searches are nothing more in my opinion then the government pushing the limits of our civil rights to see how far we will bend.

Your average everyday sociopath will start out small and desensitize him or herself to the chosen action. Later he or she will become more and more emboldened until the ultimate atrocity can be achieved with relative ease. Is this not what our government is doing today? Further, is the "fourth estate" abandoning its duty to reveal these tactics and feeding off of the fears put forth to control us in its place?

Any thoughts on this anyone?

[Face_in_the_Crowd]

1. I agree

The current approachs to making our country more secure seem to put a strangle hold on our civil rights. I like the point you made,

"The press should be there to protect us from the government; but sadly, todays news is designed to frighten us right out of what makes us American."

I feel that this is one of the main reasons for the dramatic demands for safety.

[Carolab]

2. I put it up there with the searches in airports.

I went through it in Virginia in March. My fiance and I had to change our flight because the airline gave our seats away since we didn't get there an hour ahead of time. They claimed it was a foul-up with the reservation. On top of it, they lost our bags, which we got a couple of days later. Did they "lose" them or hold onto them and search them? Dunno. All I know is we were inconvenienced because of their mistake, and I wrote to them (American) and said I'd never fly with them again.

Did I see it as a violation of my rights? No. I saw it as a major inconvenience that I was put through, through no fault of my own. Should I have pitched a fit? Maybe, but then they'd probably have detained us. So, in the end, we kind of laughed it off. But, you're right, they are slowly intruding on our civil liberties and we are not doing anything to stop it.

[wli]

3. the only people we're afraid of are Bushler & the neofascists

[bemildred]

4. Yeah, pretty much.

Most Amurkins become immobilized at the thought of not having enough gas for their SUV. How would they get around? But it was not always so, this was once a "can do" nation, it took a lot of propaganda and bad legislation to get us where we are now.