Pubdate: Fri, 28 Sep 2001
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.uniontrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Author: Dan Litwin

MORE FREEDOM TO REDUCE TERRORISM

Dear editor:

Terrorism is being addressed by our politicians with "unified" calls for 
more power.

Of course action is required. I'm not a pacifist, but neither am I part of 
the other extreme: big government. What our politicians ignore in their 
solidarity is that there are ways we could reduce bureaucracy, increase 
freedom _and_ reduce or eliminate terror at the same time:

* End the Federal Aviation Administration's assault on the Second 
Amendment. If only it were legal, the airlines' insurance companies likely 
would have required that all planes be protected by plain-clothes guards 
with concealed firearms. This alone easily could have prevented the WTC 
disaster.

* End the War on Drugs. Drugs are a major source of funding for terrorist 
groups. Most of those who want drugs already use them. We need not funnel 
money to terrorists on top of that.

* Devise a Middle East exit strategy. America's founders warned against our 
government's involvement in "entangling alliances." Our global military is 
a potent source of anti-Americanism. We are not Eastern Europeans, and 
should not act like them. We need defense, but if we continue to try to run 
the world, we will be in for thousands of years of war -- just like Eastern 
Europe.

By taking only those actions that expand their own power, the president and 
Congress cause me to fear for the future.

Dan Litwin, San Diego
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MAP posted-by: Lou King