Terrorism & Civil Liberty

The recent Terrorist attack in Boston brings up the whole issue of insuring our civil liberty, while protecting our country.   The horrible mass murders that have occurred at our schools should be dealt with by increased security on campus, creating more hardened school sites making it harder for anyone to enter a school and more focus on dealing with people that have mental disorders to best deal with these tragedies; not necessarily adding to the 9,000 gun laws on the books that are often not even enforced. 

The far bigger threat to our country is from IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) that can easily be used on soft targets that exist everywhere thousands of people gather.  There is no reason for a Terrorist to focus on hardened targets like airports, airplanes, or government buildings when there are so many soft targets with no security.

IED's, like the kind used in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries to murder soldiers and civilians can be made from common household items and set off by cell phones.   Al Queda and others have provided directions on how to make a bomb on the Internet, which we should shut down; by the way.  In this case, First Amendment Rights be damned.   We can't allow these instructions to be so widely distributed to our demise. 

In fact, as far as legal or illegal foreigners in our country are concerned, this Blogger believes that the Bill of Rights does not apply to them.  In particular, our government should monitor foreigners that come from countries known to harbor and support Terrorists and Terrorism.   Well dah!   If they don't like it, they don't have to come to America.   

The bigger dilemma relates to American Citizens.  Just how much of our freedom do we want to give up in the name of enhanced security.   This Blogger is struggling with this problem.  Clearly, an American who would commit mass murder in the name of some cause is an enemy to our people and our nation.  Yet, I don't want to endure 24 hour surveillance, or pat downs every time I enter a building or shopping mall; nor do I want the 99.9999% of us that would never commit such a heinous crime to endure these things, in violation of our rights, either.  

Some inconvenience may be necessary to protect our nation.   The only question is how far do we let the government go before our freedoms are abridged.  The Bill of Rights matter.  If we have to give up our freedom in the defense of our country, the Terrorists have won.  We can't let that happen.