First off, I am thrilled that Wayne put up a blog post. I'll respond to it on his blog.
I just finished watching the first presidential debate. I'm not going to say who I thought did better, but I am going to talk about the state of our country thanks to GWB's leadership.
My wife tells the story of how the 5th through 8th graders at my daughter's school researched and discussed the issues that are facing our country at this time of election. And in this process, the issue of personal freedom came up. Not from the kids, for they were raised post-9/11 -- they don't know what freedoms they've lost -- but instead, from the adults.
Airport security came up. One of the adults present mentioned that you didn't used to have to go through so much security at the airport. You could go through a metal detector and walk all the way to the gate to say goodbye to your loved ones. The kids were dumbstruck. They didn't even know that at one point citizens of the US had freedom of travel in their own country without being forced to show their papers.
In fact, and this is the point of this entry, one of the kids revealed that over the summer his name turned up on the No Fly list. Yes, the list of confirmed threats had the name of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy on it.
AND THEY TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY.
They separated this young boy from his father, took him to a room, searched him and questioned him.
Thank you, Congress. Thank you, Mister President. Thank you for passing the "Patriot" Act that allowed our rights and liberties and freedoms as citizens to be suspended because we are ALL CONSIDERED TERRORISTS UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE while traveling WITHIN OUR OWN COUNTRY.
I have to say that if they tried to separate my children from me just for being on the list that includes nuns and Ted Kennedy, they would be in for a world of surprise.
They would have to SHOOT ME before I would let them take my child out of my presence. I would tell them this, and it would be true.
I will not let some goose-stepping representative of a fascist regime take my child from me to do what they will behind closed doors, no matter what "law" says they can.
This is my child, and no authority may have their way with them without my express consent. And this is something I will NEVER give willingly.
You may now return to your unassuming life, thinking that you live in a free country, and that the people in power have your best interest at heart.
