If you have to choose between your freedom and security?

Question

Will you prefer to forgo some rights and have good security or have all your rights and live in fear, for example, fear of terorism

Answer 1

An armed American is a free American.

Answer 2

Freedom all the way!
Freedom comes with responsibility...and that goes for: not sticking a piping hot cup of coffee between your legs, taking time to discipline and actually pay attention to your children, and it means not blaming everyone else for your own goddamned problems!
Freedom means that everyone is watchful, and if they can't beat down a suspected bomber on their own, they should call someone who can.
Freedom means that people are at liberty to worship as they choose and express their beliefs, so long as they don't infringe on someone else's Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.
Freedom means being able to speak your mind, and not worry about being "Politically Correct."
I don't believe we should be afraid of terrorism. We should be watchful, but not living in fear. If we keep running to the federal government everytime we are afraid or have a problem, they're just going to legislate all of our rights away. Be mindful of that.

Answer 3

False duality. There is no security without freedom. The state's first loyalty is to its own power and prerogative. Rights abandoned are not easily restored. It took World War II and Stalinist totalitarianism, and the liberal 1960s [and never mind that hated word "liberal"] to assure civil and human rights in the West and Japan. The erosion of such rights under guise of fighting a "war on terrorism" may be irreversible in our time.

A "war"? Like the "war on crime", the "war on drugs". Or a "war on sin". It's really against their own citizens. Terrorists are criminals, not representatives of a State. Usually.

(Hezbollah and Hamas are special cases: Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government; Hamas part of the Palestinian one, and Palestine while not a recognized State is a political entity.)

The fact is that no act of terror can do more than INSULT the United States, and (likely) cause it psychological harm through intimidation and fear. But the USA is so huge, so populous, its military and political control so redundant -- compare MAD (mutually assured destruction) during the Cold War: no terrorist force could come near) -- that the abolition of Constitutional rights is absurd.

Star chamber-type trials, waterboarding and other tortures, can esily spread from being used only on people with beards and beanies and robes to being used on people in suits and ties.

Already on Y! Answers you see "Democrat" being equated to "traitor". "We want a one-party state!" "We want George W. Bush as our President For Life!"

Such "spontaneous" demands to abolish parts of the Constitution are not so far fetched as one might hope. Already there are few checks and balances with the Republican Right controlling all three branches of government, and the Republican Right controlled by those who would favor a theocracy. A theocracy obsessed with the End Times and The Rapture.

I couild say, "What do I care, I live in Europe". But there's more: that theocracy is really false: it's a power and money grab by a clique of insiders who scorn their own supporters. The depletion of the Treasury -- of the Clinton surplus -- the indebtedness of future generations to the Chinese (the new federal debt) to support a war that was supposed to be paid for by Iraqi oil (so that the Bush and Cheney oil interests could profit) is beyond belief. The dollar -- a world reserve currency -- must depreciate. US assets will be sold off cheaply to foreigners -- e.g., the Chinese; and the Arabs.

The implications are sobering.

And you will not be free. And you will not be secure. And, your attention diverted from What Really Matters, tin-pot dictators and religious zealots worldwide will be free to terrorize their own people. Think Sudan. And their neighbors. Think North Korea, Iran.

Answer 4

Freedom in a civilized country comes with some restrictions, disciplines, and maybe covert operations like eavesdropping on some occasions. This is exactly the freedom that you are enjoying: it is not an absolute freedom. Freedom in jungle is all out but it is a world of Kill or Be Killed. Come to think of it, is civilized world coming close to the laws of the jungle? Pre-emptive strikes, counter-intelligence, espionage, etc.....

Answer 5

The key words here are "some rights". Guess has always been true, even before the new wave of terrorism?

You never have "all your rights" your rights are what have already been decided in the past, and will change into the future. The real trick is to know what rights you can't live without.

Answer 6

Oh Freedom- hands down. Security is a myth. In fact, the only REAL security- is believing in ourselves. If you have to wall yourself IN to feel "secure" then you might as well be living in jail. Freedom is taking charge of your choices- & not letting any thing, or any ONE, stare you down. There's no way we'll ever be completely free of the stupidity of terrorism- any more than we'll ever be free of stupid people. But what we CAN do- is stand up for what we believe in- and give the terrorists alittle something to think about while they're planning their next "move" . -Maybe they'll think better of it... -for awhile...

Answer 7

With increasing population and technology, people have been losing rights for a couple hundred years, but also gaining new freedoms.
If you are talking about governmental wire-tapping, I have nothing to hide and am in favor of it. If you are talking about random searches without probable cause, I am not against that, either.
We will all eventually have to forego some of our rights in order to keep our freedom.
In some countries, the Nazi party and Communist parties have been made illegal. Not a bad idea either, in my book.

Answer 8

Freedom.

Answer 9

Security.

If you cannot enjoy freedom due to lack of security..living in fear and despair, then freedom seems incoincedental compared to a "secure " state of mind. look at the situation in iraq. people are fleeing their "free" country for iran and other neighboring countries which have theocratic facist govenments. but at least in these countries theres a shred of security.

Answer 10

I choose not to live in fear. It's a lame way to live. And of course I would choose to be protected. But who is going to protect us from the Bush administration? I am more afraid of the damage that they are doing to the people of the world including Americans, than I am afraid of terrorist attacks...

Answer 11

Freedom. Security without freedom would be short-lived.
Tyrants are the biggest threat to my security and freedom, they are the true terrorists.

Sincerely, Zach Doty
www.FightingForLiberty.org