Mike Forster's Position Papers - "War" Must Not Reduce Rights

"War" Must Not Reduce Our Rights

Mike Forster, Palo Alto California
Copyright © 2002 Mike Forster

A "war" must not be allowed to reduce the rights of citizens and residents, in the US or elsewhere.

Throughout history, a "war" or other emergency has been frequently used as an excuse to reduce the rights of a nation's citizens and residents. The US must not allow this to happen now.

Some extensions of existing government powers of surveillance are justified, because of changes in technology and totally separate from this "war". For example, it makes sense to allow the court-authorized wire-tapping of the conversations of a person rather than of a single phone line, because that person could use multiple cell phones or even email.

However, any such surveillance should still require a court order. No person should be detained indefintely without charges. All of the rights listed in the US Constitution should still be guaranteed to the citizens and residents of the US by the US government at all levels. Apparent security and safety are not justifications for reducing those rights.

There have been polls since 9/11 which have reported that a majority of US citizens would be willing to give up some rights for more security. Of course, there is no assurance that giving up some rights would result in more security.

More importantly, what the majority would be willing to do matters little. No one person, no majority, and no government can legally take away the rights described in the US Constitution for another person.

The United States should be proud that it has fought wars to protect the rights listed in the US Constitution. The US should not - must not - allow the excuse of a "war" to reduce those rights, in the name of security and safety. To do so would be to dishonor the memories of those killed and wounded defending those rights.