If you're willing to give up freedom for safety, how is that different from not fighting for your freedom?

Question

I've seen many people on here say it's ok to give up some freedom for safety, and many others say things like "if you have nothing to hide why do you care," or "It's not something that will probably ever affect you" To be honest, this attitude really bothers me, Many people fought hard and died for these freedoms, and how can we say we are willing to fight for freedom if we willingly trade them away for safety? The thing that made America so great was the freedoms we had, and even losing one of them, even if it never directly affects me, is not exceptable in my opinion. Where does it end, what if the only way to make 100% sure you were safe was to live in an internment camp, would anyone be willing to do that?

khort, that is very scary, and very sad

Randy H
secret warrants, secret wiretaps, Free speech zones and the fact the government can arrest you and hold anyone indefinately without a trial just by calling them a terrorist,

Answer 1

It's not different.

It's voluntarily surrendering your rights and freedoms to the govt because you don't care enough to fight for them -- fight politically, fight vocally, fight for everyone who is losing their rights whether they've ever needed them yet or not.

We only have those rights we can defend, and only those freedoms we choose to preserve. And once we've given them up, we've lost them until someone else chooses to fight for us.

Answer 2

Ahhh, it's refreshing to hear someone else that cares about our freedom. I find it shocking the way people could care less that the President has given himself the power to hold anyone indefintely without trial or charges by simply claiming that they are a terrorist or enemy combatant. And for the record, I'm not attacking George Bush, but rather any president that has this power. I don't want any person, be they Democrat or Republican to have this kind of power.

We've just gotten so far away from what the framers of the Constitution intended it's not even funny. But no pays attention to what the framers wrote or said because they're all too busy watching the garbage on cable news to pick up a history book and read something for a change.

Answer 3

I am in the Army and willing to fight and die for this freedom. I do not know what freedoms you specifically are referring to. In the case of airline security and all that. I like that extra security myself. I would hate to go to Iraq and come back to take a family vacation only to have it hijacked and I die on my own soil. I can still smoke my cigarette at the end of a hard days work. I can still drink a beer on the weekends, go to a ball game, go play some softball in the park, drive to Famous Dave's and get some good old ribs. I think the issue is the fact ppl need something to complain about. Your case in point, like you say even if it never directly affects you. Most people that "complain" of this so called "sacrificed freedom" will never be affected by it. Just like kids they want to make a point just to be heard and to think they are right even though the subject matter has no meaning to either party involved.

Freedom in itself is somantics. For example, total freedom would be freedom to do whatever you want, whatever that may be. Technically, true "freedom" would be the ability to throw a rock through someones windshield with no fear of consequence.

Answer 4

Everytime we pass a new law, or ordinance, just a bit more freedom was taken away.

Put on America's Whish List

More bombs
More speed bumps
More genetically-altered Bolivian fruit.
More Soldiers
More bombs...

.

Answer 5

The latest poll I read said that 70 percent of Americans were willing to give up liberty for security.

Answer 6

70% I can't believe that, do you have a link?

I am scared and shocked by whats happening, I hope in 100 years people aren't looking back at this time as when America started going down the road to fascism....

Answer 7

I agree it is a very difficult concept due to the degrees it effects the individual AND whether you actually chose to waive your freedom of if it is taken from you.

I personally view it this way.

If I choose to waive my right to (example) search and seizure and allow security to look in my bag for a weapon before I enter a sports event.

it is totally different from

Someone breaking my arm and taking my bag from me in order to look into it and see if I have something they would like to take away from me. Then arrest me for having it.

In the 1st example I waived freedom - in the 2nd it was taken from me.