Since the radical division between the Left and Right occurred in the months after 9/11, we have seen both sides take different stances on the War on Terror, particularly in the media and the vocal Left. Daniel Pipes of Front Page Magazine illustrates this very well in this article:
For a free people in the age of terrorism, what is the proper balance between civil liberties and national security?
This
debate wracks every Western country. Looking at the United States, the
“united we stand†solidarity that followed September 11, 2001, lasted
just some months, after which a much deeper divide emerged as conservatives proved far more profoundly affected by the atrocities than did liberals. The result has been the growing political acrimony of the past three years.Many
examples illustrate this divide. For the most recent, take the argument
concerning Ahmed Omar Abu Ali between the conservative Bush
administration and its mostly liberal critics.
Mr. Pipes procedes to provide examples of editorials in several leading US papers. Furthermore, he asks where is the line between civil liberties and national security. I ask "can any normal American out there point to where their civil liberties have been specifically impeded to where it harms them?" This same worry occured during the 1950’s with the Red Menace. We came through just fine.
Here is my own illustration of how the Left doesn’t get it. This is a DU discussion of banning lighters on flights. It is all one big joke to the Left. They also seem to have missed:
Proponents, including Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota,
said it was necessary to reduce the chance that someone could ignite a
bomb or incendiary device on a commercial flight.
Oops. And, a ban on matches is quite possibly coming soon. Does this impede our civil liberties? No. It is a bit annoying for smokers. They are going to have to get a new lighter at the airport, and, most of the shops are inside the security perimeter. There is business to be had ourside the security checkpoints, since no lighters are allowed inside checked baggage. Perhaps a "lighter exchange" could be started. People drop their lighters off before the security counter, arriving passengers pick one up. See? The power of positive thought.
Me, I do not mind giving up a few minor "liberties" for knowing that the Feds are doing what they can to keep the USA secure.
I get harassed by LaRouche supporters atleast once a week. Does that count for my civil liberties being violated?
I don’t want to give up a single liberty. Because of what they’ve done with airlines, I simply refuse to travel by plane. Has that impeded my liberties? Not really — I, at least now, have the ability to refuse to accept their terms and not travel. I fight now, while I can, because I know soon the “ID card” will come, and at first it will be optional, but then it will be required. When things move the the “required” stage is when they are trampling my rights.
Actually, that lighter thing is a really great idea. Assuming this wasn’t all a big plot by the politically powerful airport cigar shop owners association to sell more lighters!
Linky Fatwas
The following people get a fatwa: Vince Aut Morire for supporting Zionist-Crusader forces. Tim for revealing mujahadin funding source. No Easy Answers for mocking Syrian umma brothers. Six Meat Buffet for calling UBL ‘terrorist’. No, Bush is terrorist!…
I am an avid Conservative amnd former airline worker. I’m not sure banning lighters make our flights any safer, but who cares? I don’t smoke.
It’s tough. I sometimes find all this National Security stuff contradicting the basic concepts of the Conservative point of view: Small Goverment, minimal goverment interference.
There is an answer out there somewhere.
As far as any liberties I have lost since 9/11? None. Libs whine when we take away their crack-pipe lighters, but they are out to take my money every day of the week. That’s a bigger injustice than anything since 9/11!