How far will fear drive Americans? What freedoms would you give up?

Question

from some answers I've seen here, it seems Americans are now comfortable with their government's round-the-clock spying?

- Would you accept a ban on public rallies?
- Warrentless strip searches at Wal-Mart?
- Troops stationed in your homes?

How about the confiscation of your firearms ...?

if your politicians said it was vital for the War on Terror

Answer 1

Will you stop giving G.Dub ideas...I think many Americans are ready for anal probing as they leave their house's. How far up our *** will the government crawl in search of a terrorist?

Answer 2

For the authorities to say it is vital for the war on terror is one thing but I have to be able to determine if their claim has validity. I can see where the eavesdropping on specified telephone calls and emails ARE vital and I do not object to that. A legitimate argument for the ban on public rallies, strip searches at Walmart and troops stationed in my home as vital for the war on terror cannot be made at this time, so I am against it. Fear has nothing to do with it. Practicality is the deciding factor. It is reasonable to believe that the information gained by eavesdropping is vital for helping us stay ahead of the terrorists and it is unreasonable to believe that your "right" to have a private telephone conversation is more vital than your safety.

Answer 3

So-called Conservative (not TRUE Conservatives) would continue to give up every freedom they have (except the right to own a gun) in order to gain what they think is security.

I figure, if they keep electing the people that are in power right now, they'll cheer if Bush suspends elections to maintain power. They would cheer if Bush suspended the First Amendment protections to criticize the President. They would cheer if Bush made Christianity the official religion of the US.

You don't think they would? They cheered the passage of the bill that allows the President to call ANYONE he wants - citizen or not - an enemy combatant and send them to jail indefinitely. That's the suspension of Habeas Corpus - a part of Western thought and philosophy since the 1300's. And - poof! It's gone.

You know that joke - "Make me a sandwich." Other guy says, "Poof! You're a sandwich." That's all it takes now to make someone an enemy of the state.

I wonder how much they'll appreciate that vote if/when Hillary becomes President and has that power?

_________________

See, Chainsaw, just wrote that he supports the elimination of the 1st Amendment for people who criticize the President. One of them just wrote it. And I knew they would.

Answer 4

You misrepresent the whole situation. We monitor a sliver of the phone calls internationally to potential terrorists. That is what must be done to protect us.

The troops being stationed in people's homes is banned in the Constitution in the 3rd Amendment.

I have no problem for being asked for ID on a plane, voting, etc.
I have no problem with the government monitoring phone calls, we have the FISA courts to monitor this.
I support banning all speech that is treason. This would shut down a lot of American hating liberals.
The warrantless strip searches are also not going to happen.
Confiscation of firearms violates the 2nd Amendment.

Your question is ridiculous on its face. You bring up unreasonable hypothetical.

Answer 5

Americans as a nation will never be afraid. We will concede a few liberties temporarily. But we will never back down from a fight.The Mexicans are being sneaky. Non violently migrating here. They have the same agenda as Radical Muslims. They want to take over The United States of America.

Answer 6

The Bush Administration is trying to find out. We have already lost 'the Great Writ,' etc.
On the other hand, we would lose nothing were the confiscation of firearms to be allowed. We WILL overthrow the usurping GWB, but by the ballot box -- provided we eliminate the danger from the Diebold machines.

Answer 7

Very good post. It's absolutley disgusting what this rubber stamping, yellow spined Congress has done in regards to our freedoms. The very people who will scoff at your questions will one day scratch there heads and wonder what happened to the republican motto of less government intrusion.

Answer 8

I wouldn't trade any of my liberties for security. That is what the terrorists want and apparently Bush wants you to give up your freedom too. I am more scared of Bush, without my freedoms, than I am of any terrorist organization.

Answer 9

The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. Benjamin Franklin

Answer 10

I do not accept this administration and No I am not afraid to speak my MIND!!