A few weeks ago I posted this satirical comment on Facebook (there have been a couple of changes but the idea is the same): “Between all that we have seen the last few months in the news between the IRS, the DOJ, and the NSA, it’s apparent that Constitutional principles of the USA are MIA. Those in D.C. just LOL thinking that things are A-OK, the CIA and FBI are probably reading this blog, and when pressed to answer questions our government just says IDK.” Oozing with sarcasm yes, but it really is how I feel at times.
Last week in “Gun Control: Liberal Logic That Kills” I put to rest the myth on gun control. Well this week I would like to expand upon a broader topic that encompases gun control. That is, giving up freedom for security.
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.” — Abraham Lincoln
On June 7, 2013 President Obama said this at a press conference about NSA surveillance: “You can’t have 100% security and also then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience. We’re going to have to make some choices as a society.” It is very true that we have choices to make. That choice was made in the form of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. The people today have also spoken. A Rasmussen poll shows that 59% of likely voters oppose government collecting of phone records.
Obviously some in government think that by us giving up certain freedoms they will be able to protect us. While that may be the case for some things, should we really be using that as a reason to give up freedoms? Why don’t we just give up more of the Constitution? Wouldn’t that make us safer? Let’s give up our right to bear arms so we can prevent crime like some in government say would happen. While we are at it let’s give up our freedom of speech because it can hurt others. We should also give up the freedom to assemble because a small percentage of the time this results in riots and people are sometimes injured. Let’s just let the government control everything. That way there would be no crimes and we would all be safe.
What we have to avoid is a slippery slope into less freedom. We must avoid having a government of distrust and fear. That is one thing that our Founding Fathers sought for when founding this great nation, and it is why some people still flee other countries to come to America.
Let the words of Benjamin Franklin be a warning to us all: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
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A Day In The Life 