Comments Elsewhere

Alexandra, you may think that the following comment is a “slam dunk.” I think it’s the height of political immorality. Viz: “You see, Glenn, al Qaeda really is a threat to the United States. As such, we must do everything in our power to thwart their designs to foment mayhem and promulgate murder. You may not understand this, but most Americans are more than willing to sacrifice our civil liberties and much more so than we have done so far in this effort.”

I have no problem with an individual American who is “more than willing” to sacrifice her or his own civil liberties and much more so than she has done so far in “this effort.” That’s your bag; if you want to trade off living your life at the permission of others in order to gain more in the way of bodily safety, I won’t get in the way. The problem is that that’s not all they’re proposing when they talk about “sacrificing our civil liberties.” What they mean, and what I object to, is that they are “more than willing” to sacrifice other people’s civil liberties, and more specifically my civil liberties, and much more so than they have done so far in “this effort,” whether I like it or not. That you have no right to “sacrifice.” It’s not yours to give.