President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."  Certainly these times that we live in are worthy of considerable fear.  On this site we discuss these fears every day: The economy, the erosion of our rights, health care, rampant warfare and death, the fear of environmental change causing significant problems, and we could go on and on.  As President Roosevelt astutely noted, in a day with fears that are certainly analogous in scope to the fears that we hold today, that fear is something to be avoided.

The problem with the FISA amendments is that as a law, like so many passed over the previous seven years, it is justified and grounded in fear.  Fear that everyone and anyone could be a terrorist.  Fear that if we don't give corporations absolute immunity they won't allow us to save us or themselves.  Fear that a disconnected population of people will only see the names of legislation and vote solely on attack ads.

This kind of fear is dangerous, and should be avoided.  This country cries out for leadership, and a true leader cannot lead in a state of fear.