Of course I know freedom has a cost. I come from a family that has fought in every war since the civil war... to protect that freedom. Yes, it most definitely has a price. But when the cost IS freedom, what have we become?? How far will each of you go, how much LIBERTY will you sacrafice for "safety"?? That is EXACTLY what Ben Franlkin was saying...

Steve hit in on the head. And what is so serious about this is that that the terrorists represent such a real and genuine threat. (NO QUESTION about that) They represent an actual, physical, threat to our people, and our way of life. That means we HAVE to do what we have to do to stop them. The question becomes, can we stop terrorism, and maintain the freedoms, that are such basic tennants of this country? If their actions cause us to become a fortress-nation, w\o the benefit of the Bill of Rights, etc., well, they have done what they Imperial Japanse, The Nazi's, the Soviets, etc., etc. COUNLD NEVER MANAGE. Our FREEDOM is EXACTLY what is at stake here. That freedom is what makes the US so unique in history, and that is what must be guarded. It must be guarded from the outside (obviously), but it also must be guarded from the inside. If we are "safe" (Come on... IS there such a thing on this planet??) but we become a database nation, where everything you say or do, is monitored (carnivore? eschelon?) everyone is cataloged for easy cross-referencing... (face scans at the superbowl last year? etc., etc.), if we allow little things like the 2nd and 4th amendment, to fall by the wayside... If it evolves to the point where there IS no concept of individual rights or privacy... (and I grant you that is NOT the case today, but what sorta visionary do you have to be to see THAT handwriting on the wall, and the technology is already there to do it... ) well, you can very easily see where its goin. And if it is deemed, by govt., and society, that is what we must do to maintain our safety... then what have we become?

The only two ways to get Americans to part with Freedom are SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE. No one has ever managed to TAKE it away from us. Yet... but some one is trying again.

Remember... the freedoms that we enjoy are guarded by the Constitution and the BOR... they are there to protect you from your government. They were written by people who KNEW tyranny and opression... (and human nature, where power was concerned) knew if for real. The world has ALWAYS been a dangerous place, and we struck a very fine balance for 200+ years. I just pray we can maintain that balance in the face of this new threat.

The bottom line is... being an American is not just about kickin other countries, butts when they mess with us. Its sorta like the oath of office the President must take.... defending the Const. against enemies, foreign and domestic. If we defeat the terrorists, but in the process, loose the very freedoms that MAKE America... well, what have we have won? We have to defend the CONSTUTION, 24x7, from all comers... whether they are well meaning, tyrannical, or outsiders bent on our destruction.

Generally, I love a nice little, spirited, political debate... But this deal is a little different. Bioengineered Anthrax, has a tendency to temper my mood. I just pray that our leaders, make the right calls, they are ON, man, they are making history... And I hope and pray that we can raise the stakes on terrorists, to the point that we put them totally out of business. And maybe we can do that and maintain our way of life, with only minor, reasonable, concessions to privacy and freedom, etc. I just think that anyone that is engaged enough to read this and participate in this discussion, HAS to play Devils Advocate, and stay keenly aware of the freedoms (won in blood) that we give away... We all have a duty to protect the constitution, from ALL assaults on it.

Fellas, you wont hear this alot... I SURE HOPE IM WRONG about how its goin! I would LOVE to have this discussion (and the FREEDOM to have it w\o Big Brother) in 10 years and you all tell me I was a complete alarmist. I just think that we must all keep our eyes open to the possibility, remember, one of the prices of freedom is vigilence.

I'll just say, God bless us all, and keep us strong and united.

Pray for PEACE.

sonny