This week, we have all learned that the President has illegally suspended our civil liberties, in order to "save American lives."
Yes, Sept. 11 was a tragic occurence in our country. It is always sad when Americans lose their life, particularly in an event that
could have been avoided.
On Sunday night in his address to the nation, President Bush once again noted that our nation was attacked. He also noted that 3,000 dead Americans means we must do everything we can to protect ourselves (emphasis mine):
September the 11th, 2001 required us to take every emerging threat to our country seriously, and it shattered the illusion that terrorists attack us only after we provoke them. On that day, we were not in Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the terrorists attacked us anyway -- and killed nearly 3,000 men, women, and children in our own country.
The day before in his radio address, President Bush used similar rhetoric, that implied he would do anything and everything in his power (and beyond) to save American lives (emphasis mine):
This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties. And that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
So, I guess the President is prepared to save the 16,137 Americans murdered in 2004. That is, after all, five times more people killed than during 9/11.
I expect every American to have his/her phone tapped immediately. That way, we can arrest people if they were thinking of committing a crime. Not if they actually did, but if they talked about it. Isn't that what being an American patriot is all about? Isn't that democracy in action?
I'm sure we won't discuss gun-control laws or other things that might save American lives.
God forbid we do anything rational or legal in the name of America.