Free or Safe

The recent Presidential Executive Order on immigration and entry from seven predominantly Muslim countries reopens the age old question and conflict between security and liberty. 

Like most issues, the public opinion pendulum swings from freedom and rights to security and back again. From the individual liberties to the government's need to know and control. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

During WWII, we sacrificed freedom and rights for perceived security by locking up thousands of Japanese-Americans in the internment camps. This wasn't just a restriction of Asian immigrants and visitors. It was the denial of freedom to legal United States citizens and residents, many native born. We look back on that as a major mistake and failure of our government to live up to our country's constitution and alleged ideals.

In the post-WWII cold war years, we had Senator Joe McCarthy and his communist witch hunt. He ruined the lives of many by branding them communists and enemies of America without due process or evidence. Several innocent people were blacklisted and forced into hiding. Again, looking back on this period there was no real threat, just mass paranoia. Paranoia that was used by a political demagogue to increase his power and influence. Sound familiar?

After the 9-11 attacks, Congress passed the PATRIOT Act which gave law enforcement and the government broad powers to infringe on our individual freedoms. Secret courts were established to issue rubber stamped subpoenas. 

Between these times of tension, real or imagined, we have backed off from the draconian measures. We freed the interned Japanese-Americans and vowed never to do that again. Senator McCarthy was disgraced and we vowed never to allow such a demagogue to rise to power again. When the PATRIOT Act came up for renewal, it was watered down a bit although mostly stays in effect. The wisdom and constitutionality of this law are still being debated. 

Now we have new President Trump fanning the flames of paranoia in our country to impose draconian restrictions on those non-citizens who have legally obtained permission to enter this country. Even those with valid visas and green cards were detained at entry points. Others were denied at their point of travel origin. The executive order targets seven Muslim-majority countries. Coincidently, Trump promised to ban all Muslims from entering the country during his campaign. Time will tell whether this is a legal or even wise executive order. Time will also tell whether we will look back in a few years and as a society approve of it or wonder what the hell we were thinking. 

Right now, we have an administration that will emphasize the dangers in our world, promote security over freedom, and increase their control and power over the government and individuals. It would be refreshing if Trump and the Trumpettes put as much effort into the implementation phase of these executive orders as they do the PR, spin and Twitter wording. National security is often used as a reason to enact all kinds of stuff that restricts individual rights. If the government stirs up enough paranoia, it makes it much easier. The land of the free and home of the brave often isn't. The most well-armed population on earth seems to be one of the most fearful. 

The pendulum is definitely moving toward security and away from freedom and rights. Is this a temporary situation or a protracted era? Regardless of how many rights are taken away, we will never be completely secure. Times change, security methods must also change but they should never trump (pun intended) liberty.

-30-