Source: The Role of Civil Liberties in the Fight Against Terror – The Atlantic
Politicians who want to violate civil rights to combat terror miss a vital point—if they strip them away, they’ll be equally defenseless.
A congressional investigative body springing from the impulse to consider members of major religions suspect because of words in their sacred texts ought to terrify folks on the religious right
America’s terrorist watch list is an opaque abomination. … It is already a scandal that a list like this can prevent a person from flying, as if moving about the country is a privilege, not a right. And now, Democrats are proposing that being on a secret, due-process free list should strip people of a constitutional right.
Although America can doubtless improve its approach to counterterrorism, its citizens, particularly its political leaders and television personalities, should take much greater care to avoid responses that are counterproductive or that infringe on civil liberties, because imprudent reactions to terrorism can cause far greater harm to the United States than lone-wolf jihadists.