The word "freedom" is being used on the media (as usual) in a very glib and misleading fashion.

Everyone wants freedom. Everyone. Palestinians, Israelis, Canadians and Americans all want freedom.

The question is, how big is your definition of freedom? Does it cover only YOUR freedom to do as you please in your customary fashion or does it give equal consideration to the freedom of others...including those who are different from you?

Bush says the terrorist acts were an attack upon "freedom". Wrong. They had nothing to do with freedom in any way. They had to do with power and perceived powerlessness, with the "haves" and the "have-nots", and with revenge for past circumstances (a whole lot of them). I do not in ANY WAY consider such revenge to be sensible or justifiable, but be assured that those who committed it did consider it entirely justified. Otherwise, they would not have done it.

It is not true that you have to "give up freedom" in order to protect people. Putting sky marshalls on airplanes does not give up anyone's freedom. Armouring cockpit doors does not give up anyone's freedom either...it just costs money!

Every dictator in history has begun his dictatorship by assuring various unfortunate people that he is taking their freedoms away in order to "protect" them. That is a lie.

To increase security in calm and rational ways is not to give up freedom, but to descend into paranoia and jingoism is.

And to suggest that the "price of freedom" is to become vulnerable to attack is almost completely misleading! Did the lack of certain political and social freedoms that North Americans take for granted save Iraq from being devastated in the Gulf War...and since? Did it save Belgrade from being bombed? Did it protect Cambodians under Pol Pot? Has it ever kept any population safe from attack? Quite the contrary. You will find that the more authoritarian and lacking in freedom a society is, the more the ordinary person is terrified, and in great danger...from both within and without that society.

Never trust someone who tells you he must take away your freedoms in order to protect you. Protect your freedoms and extend them to others if you can.

- LH