posted on October 28, 2001 01:27:33 PM new
I don't wish my children to grow up in a world where they fear, and may succumb to, nuclear terrorism. I support any reasonable action to prevent nuclear and biochemical terrorism.
What I believe, and each of us believes, to be reasonable is up to each individual to decide. Outoftheblue, perhaps you think that terrorists hiding among civilian population is sufficient to prevent a military response. I do not.
Whether the U.S. government is a despotism is a completely different question. It really has no bearing on what an appropriate response to terrorism might be.
The world has become too small, and the weapons too powerful, to let men like Osama Bin Laden run unfettered. If he and his supporters do not want peace, then they must be eliminated. I believe the U.S. is doing everything it can to minimize unnecessary bloodshed, including losses to our own troops.
If you value freedom, perhaps you will realize that at some point, it is necessary to fight to protect it.
posted on October 28, 2001 01:34:31 PM new
Microbes
As I said before, I don't expect you to understand it.
"Return evil for evil to no one...be peaceable with all men. Do not avenge yourselves....for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord." If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he s thirsty, give him something to drink...Do not let yourself be conquered by evil, but keep conquering evil with good."
If you don't believe these words are inspired then you and I could not possibly see eye to eye on this.
posted on October 28, 2001 02:12:37 PM newI don't expect you to understand it.
I think I understand it, although I don't happen to agree with it. My real point was either the people we lost on sept 11th where an "acceptable loss", in which case inaction is ok, or what happened on sept 11th was "unacceptable", in which case some action should be taken.
What action should be taken (if you agree something should be done) is of course open to debate. When what passes in Afganistan for a Government refuses to take action (I would have much prefered the Taliban step up to the plate, and do something so we didn't have too.) what are we to do?
If you can show me a viable alternative that will bring bin Laden and his terrorist network to justice before they can do something like this again, I'm all for it. I don't prefer war, I just view it as the only way to prevent (hopefully) another sept 11th.
posted on October 28, 2001 06:29:17 PM newI also have no worry or concerns about any of the issues MrPotatoHeadd has brought up in her/his thread. Reason? I wouldn't be involved in any anti American practices. While I might be investigated, they wouldn't pin anything on me because I'd be innocent.
And we all know that innocent people are never convicted, don't we?
edited to add...
Here's the problem (and when I say "you", I mean the general "you", not any particular poster):
You don't have a problem with the government reading your email in an effort to stop terrorism.
Ok- how about this?
How would you feel if the police department called one morning to tell you they were investigating possible terrorist activity and asked if they could send an officer to take a look around in your front yard that afternoon? If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?
Or this:
How would you feel if a policeman showed up at your door one evening to tell you he was investigating possible terrorist activity and asked if he could take a look around in your back yard right now? If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?
Or this:
How would you feel if four policemen knocked on your door at 2AM to tell you they was investigating possible terrorist activity and asked if they could come inside and take a look around in your house right now? If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?
Or this:
How would you feel if eight policemen broke down your door at 2AM and came inside your house uninvited take a look around in an investigation into possible terrorist activity? If you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?
And here's the $64,000 question: Where does one draw the line?
I'm sure you've probably heard of The Boiling Frog Syndrome- if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, he’ll jump out. But if you place a frog into a pot of lukewarm water and slowly turn up the heat, it will boil to death.
I believe that infringements on our constitutional rights will follow a similar path- small intrusions in the name of public safety that will be gradually expanded (government rarely gives up power of its' own accord) as people grow accustomed to them.
Unless people are ever aware of what the government is trying to do, one day somewhere down the road, people will realize what has been lost. And it will be too late.
and one last (I think) edit...
Before anybody points out that some of these laws have "sunset" provisions, I have to say I'm not all that confident in the government when it comes to ending unneeded programs. After all, if they are unable to discontinue a tax enacted 102 years ago to finance the Spanish-American war, what makes anybody think they would be willing to give up any powers they have recently acquired?
[ edited by mrpotatoheadd on Oct 28, 2001 08:39 PM ]
Also about ending emergency measures---
We are in a whole series of emergency declarations going clear back to Truman that congress keeps trying to end but each president extends because they give him so much power. Right now any president can send congress home and rule by martial law with a stroke of the pen and it is all legal.
