"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin (I looked it up)
The above quote is something I truly believe in. It's funny how easy it is to forget about the Patriot Act and how much freedom we've allowed to be taken from us because of it. And it's not just the patriot act, everyday we somehow find ourselves giving up a little freedom all in the name of security. First of all, what is security exactly? Isn't it just an abstract concept whose definition can, and should, differ from person to person? And if that is the case, doesn't it make the whole notion of creating laws in the name of security ridiculous?
Think about what we let the law makers pass under the guise of security. We recently allowed the local government to outlaw smoking in public parks, parks that are outdoors, due to health concerns I'm sure. But isn't it really just "health security" at the end of the day? So in this day and age we allow cameras every where to watch us, give the government powers to search us and monitor us without any due process because it gives us the illusion of safety.
Safety and security, in my opinion, always begins and ends with you. Up there, in the brain, with peace of mind. You can have all the guns and laws in the world, but if you live in a constant state of fear; are you really truley safe?
What I hate most are those who would say: "I don't care, I'm not doing anything wrong. So they can watch me all they want". People like this are missing the point. You can't start giving the government just a "little bit" of your freedoms, because they will never take just a "little bit". Give an inch, and they'll take a mile, ever heard that phrase? When in doubt, always apply that to your government.
Because it didn't just stop with the patriot act, and it didnt just stop with banning smoking in bars. It became cameras on street corners and smoking out doors. What's next? Retina scanners and biological microchips? Oh wait, those are already on the way.
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