Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Resist

I never thought Americans would be so quick to give governments so much power as we have.  I never thought we'd have a Department of Homeland Security.  We let them x-ray us at airports, monitor cell phone conversations, put tracking devices on cars, photograph us at all times we are outside our houses, even take pictures of our back yards from space to see if we are growing drugs or evading taxes.  We have secret courts and secret police.  They demand from private companies the ability to spy on people who use their products. 

Benjamin Franklin didn't think trading liberty for security was a very good trade. I think he was right. Liberty demands resistance.  And the 1st Amendment, at least for now, lets you buy encryption protection.  I think all freedom loving people should investigate Cryptohippie.  Whether or not you need it, and honestly, I don't think most people do, just having it is a major act of non-submission.

2 comments:

DebD said...

I agree. I never believed Bush when he said that our freedom wouldn't change because of the terrorists. Besides, we've become a fear driven society.

Jim said...

...but, I have to ask, were any attacks averted because of the Patriot Act? If so, that is a good thing. During the Adams Administration, he signed the "alien and Sedition act" mainly because of the French on American soil. Thomas Jefferson had it repealed because it was in direct violation to the First Amendment. There are times when some liberties have to be "compromised" but they must be quickly taken back....we may be a fear driven society but there many things to fear.