Monday’s Thoughts
November 12, 2007 on 1:36 pm | In Education, Main, Oddball |
For all those who have fretted repeatedly about our loss of civil liberties during the GWOT, how about a little perspective? THIS is losing your civil liberties in the fight against terror. Even lawyers in three-piece suits have been demonstrating in the streets and getting arrested. Quite a sight …
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I am sad to report that a school voucher program in Utah that I have blogged about before has failed in a referendum after having passed in the state legislature. It was an innovative program that would have actually increased the per pupil state aid for public schools even when students choice out to a private school.
But teachers unions opposed it nonetheless. Any threat to the power of the NEA and its locals prompts dire warnings about uncertified teachers in the classrooms and a lack of “accountability” in private schools. From what I can tell, Pete duPont and Michael Barone got it right in today’s WSJ and RCP, respectively.
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I have to disagree. I don’t call it “FRETTING” about the loss of civil rights, I call it trying to elt others know about our loss of civil liberties that we took for granted, and now they are gone.
If you honestly think that any email, or electronic communication is not intercepted by our goverment, if you honestly feel that demonstrators at rallys are not being videotaped and filed away, if you honestly think that google, yahoo, etc are not in cahoots with our goverments and other goverments, and if you honestly think that most of the “press” out of Washington D.C. is not being manipulated…
Then shame on you.
I am not a person that believes in conspiracy theories..but…
I am realistic. Racial profiling, people locked away without representation, etc..
THis is NOT the America we all learned about many years ago, the America that became the melting pot for the world.
Its stil a great place, just less great and free than it used to be…but more distressing, is that its heading in the wrong direction, with no seeming ability to right itself.
My perspective is just fine, thank you. Its a depressing persepective, but it is based in reality.
Comment by Marshall — November 12, 2007 #
Marshall,
I guess we’re arguing over one word, “fret,” which means “to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like,” which sounds like what you do when you get on this subject.
Be that as it may, I’m willing to cut the government a little slack as they root out terrorists. I’m not sure all the measures are necessary, but it’s not something I worry about every day.
I realize the loss of civil liberties can be more subtle than what’s happening in Pakistan, but Mushaarf’s emergency law declaration does make you stop and think.
People would never tolerate anything like that here, nor would any president (Bush included) even contemplate such a measure. That’s my perspective, for what it’s worth.
Comment by Terry — November 13, 2007 #
If you are going to compare our civil liberties with those of Pakistan, why not Saudi Arabia or Libya. No, I think perspective would mean comparing our CL to Western Europe, or perhaps what they were 10 years ago, or perhaps what the founding fathers intended. The questions are whether the political and social climate in Pakistan calls for draconian measures, and whether security issues here justify torture and eavesdropping.
Comment by Peter Halle — November 14, 2007 #