Don't surrender your civil liberties

 

BY LARRY MAGID
September 28, 2001

 

In addition to sending money to the Red Cross to help with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 tragedy, I also took the time to renew my membership in the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU.

 

The ACLU and other protectors of our civil liberties are needed more than ever, even as we get ready to take appropriate measures in response to the horrific acts of terrorism against our country.

 

The Bush administration, rightly, is asking for additional funds and tools to deal with terrorist threats. But, as we wage our war against terrorism, we must be extra careful not to give up some of the very freedoms that have made us the envy of people around the world and the enemy of the forces of evil that would resort to terrorism.

 

Free speech

 

I'm sure that Osama bin Laden isn't a supporter of the ACLU because his ideology doesn't have room for dissension and a free exchange of ideas. Judging by their comments on TV, I'm quite certain that Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson --who said that the ACLU and other groups helped create conditions that led to terrorist acts against the United States --aren't members of the ACLU either. Yet that organization fights for the right of people like Falwell and Robertson to speak freely, even if what they say is stupid and divisive. I don't agree with everything the ACLU says and does, and I also get annoyed by those picky people at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Sometimes these groups side with people and causes I just can't stomach. Yet, someone has to stand up for free speech and civil liberties even when exercised by people we detest. 

 

How far is too far?

 

There are times when I wish that these groups would get out of the way. Let Congress pass harsh laws against spammers --those who send out unsolicited commercial e-mail. Why not send hackers to jail for the rest of their lives --after all, they're disrupting computers and Web sites. Why not require companies that make encryption software to include a back door for government anti-terrorist agents so that they can spy on those who would terrorize our citizens?

At first glance, these all seem like reasonable steps to take and damn those who would get in our way. But hold on just a minute.

 

If we block all spammers, then don't we risk blocking other forms of speech? If we send all hackers to jail for life aren't we applying the most extreme penalty for what are often petty crimes?

And if we allow the government to read our private communications, aren't we giving up some of the rights and protections that our forbearers fought so hard to win?

 

A war for freedom

 

The fact is that the United States of America stands for more than just keeping our citizens safe. It also stands for keeping us free.

 

If we allow our own government to take away our freedoms and rights, then we are allowing the terrorists to win. Their goal isn't just to blow up buildings and kill innocent civilians. They're bent on destroying the very fabric of our society and that fabric is woven from the cloth of freedom.