Editorial: Sacrifices, yes; lose freedoms, no

Nation must change - for short term

Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2001

Terrorists have changed the way we view our country. No longer can we say, unequivocally, that nothing will happen to us when we board an airplane, go to work or attend a baseball game.

The hijackers who demolished the World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon, destroyed thousands of lives and dented our psyche have forced us to re-evaluate our freedoms and the way we live our lives.

That might turn out to be a cruel side effect of the attacks.

On the one hand, we agree that security measures must be stepped up, especially in light of the fact that some terrorists still might be in this country, biding their time until they can spew forth their venomous actions.

Airports, as well as all areas of mass transit, must take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of all passengers. If that means longer lines, so be it. If that means a discreet pat-down from someone of the same gender, so be it. If that means a more thorough search of carry-on luggage, or even a halt to carry-on luggage for the time being, then so be it.

At this time in our nation's history, we can't be too careful.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed a measure that would broaden court-ordered wiretapping to include computer crimes and terrorism cases. During the weekend, Attorney General John Ashcroft said he wanted to go a step further and increase the use of wiretaps for not just the phones but the terrorists themselves.

Currently, suspicion of terrorism is not a valid, legal reason to get a wiretap. That needs to change.

And because of the urgency to identify possible terrorists still in this country, the time to act is now.

On Sept. 11, life changed. We, as a nation, unfortunately, also have to change. We must realize that if we want to be absolutely assured of our security in our own land that we will have to make some sacrifices.

However, the United States of America was, and is, founded on the principles of freedom. Freedom of religion, speech and the press. Freedom to peaceably assemble. Freedom to petition the government.

We are being asked to relinquish some of what made this country so great for the short term, and we should comply.

But we can't give up our basic freedoms, or America will cease being the land of the free and the home of the brave.