Pubdate: Wed, 26 Sep 2001
Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal (SC)
Copyright: 2001 The Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Contact:  http://www.goupstate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/977
Author: Ryan Brennan

PROTECTING LIBERTIES

We are all told to continue with business as usual to show the terrorists 
that they haven't damaged the American way. I, for one, totally agree with 
that.

We should continue on with our daily lives. Our going to work or buying and 
selling and even travel should not change.

Our way of government also should not change. Our constitutional republic 
should also stay within the legal bounds set forth by its very founding 
document, the Constitution.

Because some maniac murderers want to try to scare us is not a good enough 
reason to infringe on the rights of the legal citizens of our land. There 
are no footnotes to the Bill of Rights. There are no exceptions or 
conditions to our liberties.

I am a patriotic American, and I don't care how much our enemies try to 
terrorize -- I will not give up my freedoms in the name of security.

I will not change my daily buying or traveling habits, and I will not 
surrender my American liberties to the terrorists or to our own government.

I fear the so-called war on terrorism will finish what the war on drugs 
started. We all will be treated with suspicion and subjected to more 
unconstitutional laws. Rallying the people into a pseudo-patriotic fever is 
not what will keep America strong. Reading our Bibles, praying and living 
by the Bible will.

Everybody reading the Constitution, and requiring the government to live by 
it, also will live by it. If citizens will do these two things, we will 
remain unbowed for the long run.

Ryan Brennan, Spartanburg
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens