Opinion: If we sacrifice our liberties, terrorists win

I did not have go out and buy a flag after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. I already owned six, one of which is permanently displayed in my office at home. That one was given to me by the Veterans of Foreign Wars at my father's funeral seven years ago. He was a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received numerous medals, including the Bronze Star. In our house, war wasn't a big topic of conversation, but current events and what our government was doing were. That translated into being a responsible and informed citizen.

My father fought in a war, that, if we had lost, would now have us under a fascist state with little or no personal liberties and privacy rights. Those same principles of freedom my father and our family treasure have not only been challenged by the terrorists of Sept. 11 but are now being challenged in the halls of Congress.

The antiterrorism bill being proposed by the Department of Justice should not be passed in its current form because it is an assault on our Bill of Rights and our Constitution.

The St. Petersburg Times' editorial, Security and Liberty (Sept. 22), detailed some of the terrorism of this bill. It abounds with abuses on privacy and due process of the law and affects all Americans, not just alien residents and terrorists. It truly is big brother stuff.

The threats that the attacks of Sept. 11 pose are no less threatening than if we legislate our freedoms and civil rights away. The terrorists win. My father and millions of Americans did not fight for democracy and freedom to have it repealed by our own government under the threat of terrorism.

The principles of liberty and justice are not protected by the flag and the colors. They're protected by the laws and judicial system of this country. As patriotic Americans we need to be as vigilant about fighting for those laws that protect our privacy, freedom of association, speech and thought, as we are about using military force to protect our borders from terrorists.
-- Nancy Whitman, Indian Shores

Antiterrorism efforts are essential

Re: Why the rush? Sept. 25.

Your editorial concerning the call by our attorney general for enhanced antiterrorism legislation has crossed the line in my mind -- that of a 20-year Navy veteran.

Maybe you and I weren't watching the same TV briefing, but the one I watched provided ample explanation and justification. Maybe you don't have the vaguest idea of what is being proposed, but I guarantee you that anyone who understands what liberty really means and what is necessary to ensure that all Americans (yes, including you) keep that liberty, has every bit of an idea of what is proposed and essential -- now!

Wake up before the time passes you by! If there was another newspaper choice in this area, you can bet I wouldn't be reading yours.
-- Gene Fitzpatrick, Clearwater

A sensible sacrifice of rights

There seems to be some concern that certain of our precious civil liberties might be at risk as we respond to the terrorist attack. More than 6,000 innocent people have been killed suddenly by hate-filled people trained to continue to kill Americans and we're concerned about some compromise over our "civil rights"?

Considering the sacrifices that have already been made and that will be made by others, I have no objection to responsible authorities tapping my phone, searching my car and house, reading my computer files or holding me for interrogation at the airport if it will help destroy this vicious terrorist movement. I have nothing to hide.

Did you get that, ACLU? You don't speak for me.
Richard Parvin, Clearwater

Fear of a runaway government

My fellow citizens, I am fearful. I do not fear the various terrorist bands throughout the world or fear to travel. My fear is what the terrorists' actions have done to my country. I fear a runaway government. Even though the despicable acts of Sept. 11 could not have been stopped by any of the proposed new government actions save one, bringing back the sky marshal program to every flight, I see a myriad of proposed regulations and laws already moving through Congress. I watch newscasters blithely discuss wiretap and other surveillance methods being approved without probable cause.

This country is based on individual liberties. To hear my government freely discuss the loss of any of my liberties makes me afraid indeed. We must find a way to stop terrorists, that is indisputable. What we absolutely must not do is create a police state in the name of security.

I trust our leaders to do the right thing. I pray for them and ask for guidance. I hope for the best but, I am afraid.
-- George Fischell, St. Petersburg

Don't dispense with due process

Attorney General John Ashcroft is justified in wanting to rid the United States of aliens who are a threat to our nation. But sending them back to their countries without a just hearing before an immigration judge makes us no better than the Taliban. The hearings do not have to be delayed or lengthy; they can be done expediciously.

Our judicial system can move swiftly when there is urgency. We do not want our detention centers and jails to be overburdened with them. They do deserve to be heard and their case adjudicated on more than the opinion of one officer.
-- Audrey Kopelman, St. Pete Beach

Secure our borders

Re: No more terrorist welcome mat, by Michelle Malkin, Sept. 20.

At last, someone, of all the pundits, has addressed the problem that allowed the incident to take place. While I don't know the specifics of the J-1 and M-1 visa programs, it shouldn't take a genius to understand that preventing individuals from terrorist-harboring countries to enter this country freely will go a much longer way toward ensuring security than anything that can/will be put in place at the airports.

The many thousands of Americans who died in previous wars, in particular, World War I and World War II, gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep the enemy from our doorstep. Instead, the liberal do-gooders of this country have chosen to disregard their sacrifices and have allowed practically unlimited immigration. I stand behind television commentator Bill O'Reilly's stance that our borders must be closed.

Foreign nationals from terrorist-friendly nations should only be allowed here for clearly stated business, and upon entering this country, should be tracked on a daily basis to ensure their itinerary is being followed up to the point of departure to their country of origin.
-- Richard A. Galford, Spring Hill

Remember government's purpose

Our antiterrorism efforts will be long, difficult, and painful, but now is the time to stop whining about peace, only peace, and support our president and the military. Even if you are personally unwilling to shed blood to protect America, remember the primary reason for the existence of this country:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution neatly summarizes the purpose of our government. After suffering a gruesome attack from people who will only endeavor to commit more, our government cannot perform as required by throwing words and sanctions at the terrorists. Please do not complain about the government following its stated purpose.
-- Phoebe R. Stubblefield, Ridge Manor

Honor those who work toward peace

Re: Some things are worth fighting for, letter, Sept. 25.

I would first like to offer deep appreciation to the letter writer and for every other person who has served to protect our freedom in this great country. I honor you. There can be no debate that if it were not for your efforts and those of the military personnel who currently face a dangerous task, I would not be sitting here expressing my views today.

However, I feel compelled to also honor those who have waged peaceful war. The efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cannot be ignored. However, the last sentence of the "Morality of War" discounts the brave deeds and accomplishments of these great men.

If we are to move forward and evolve as a race, we must believe in the power of peace. Respect those who work toward peace, who believe in non-violence, because they are necessarily envisioning a time when war will be a part of history. As Albert Einstein once said, "The problems that we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created those problems."

God bless our armed services and those who wage peace, for we are all still one people. Now is not the time to stand divided.
-- Christine Smith, Gulfport

Support for Israel fans Arab hate for U.S.

What we witnessed on Sept. 11, 2001 was the involvement of America in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Naturally the people in this country who brought this about will deny this.

Waiving flags, singing songs and lighting candles will not hide the fact that our foreign policy with respect to the Middle East has been hijacked by minority special-interest groups in this country.

The Israeli government discriminates against Palestinians, has illegally confiscated their land, bulldozed their homes and built illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza (in violation of U.N. resolutions).

In the eyes of the Palestinians, the surface-to-surface missiles, the helicopter gunships, the missile-firing tanks, the automatic weapons and bulldozers all have "America" written all over them and are financed by a $3-billion-a-year foreign aid package from U.S. taxpayers thanks to the U.S. Congress, one of the prime targets of the terrorist attacks. No amount of money, political organization or one-sided media propaganda will alter that fact, and this is why Americans are hated by most of the Arab world.
-- Tim Fitzgerald, Palm Harbor

It's too soon for flags at full staff

The decision by the White House to raise all government flags back to full staff Sunday was extremely callous and short-sighted. The vast majority of the dead have not even been recovered yet and we are told, in effect, that's enough, it's time to move on.

While there may not be a proscribed protocol we can turn to as a reference point, 12 days seems grotesquely insufficient to mark the worst loss of civilian life in American history.

It is both our civic duty and personal privilege to publicly mark the passing of so many of our brothers and sisters. Apparently the desire in our nation's leadership to return to normalcy as quickly as possible supersedes those needs.
-- Michael Shannon, Bradenton

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