Taking a Chance for Liberty

Some things are worse than death. No one wants to die an untimely death but sometimes that sacrifice is necessary in the service of a greater good. Generations of soldiers have given their lives for their nation. Certainly the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were aware of the stakes when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in support of American independence.

These thoughts come to me as I read the debate about torture and warrantless wiretapping in Congress this week. BushCheney is asking Congress for greater authority to defend the nation, to protect America from terrorist attack. I guess I should be thankful that he even bothers to ask. His normal approach has been simply to do whatever he wants, exercising what Dick Cheney calls the “robust executive power” of a unitary executive. All of which, the administration sells to the American public in the name of security.

But I think that BushCheney puts America at even greater risk than the threats posed by terrorist organizations. The terrorists can only kill us, can only destroy property and wreak economic havoc. Far more dangerous is the loss of liberty and Constitutional government that BushCheney’s policies will inflict on this nation. I read the news and see a president who acts like a king, who claims the right to do anything in the name of national defense, without limit, and I wonder what has become of the Constitutional republic that grew from the actions of those 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

I’ve been a student of government for over 40 years. The more I learned about this nation’s history, the more amazed I am at the miracle of the US Constitution, an 18th century document that has survived the challenges of slavery, civil war, world war and nuclear confrontation, a document originally created to protect the liberty and interests of a small elite that has expanded liberty and democracy well beyond that small group. America’s history is hardly an unblemished success–we have had our failures and repressions–but the trend has always managed to correct itself. Slavery did not last. Lincoln’s infringement of civil rights was only temporary. The same with the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Palmer raids..

BushCheney would alter that trajectory be creating a supreme ruler, unaccountable to neither the courts, Congress nor the people. THAT would be an unspeakable loss, not only to America but to the world. The United States, whatever, its shortcomings has always represented democracy, the possibility that a free people could create governing institutions that would not ultimately destroy the freedoms they were created to protect.

The men who wrote the US Constitution were acutely aware of this danger. They were far from certain that democracy could persevere in over such a large geographic area. Imagine their wonder that their work not only survived but flourished as the United States grew from 13 to 50 states. It’s been a bumpy ride but the Framers’ doubts did not materialize. But now, as I watch BushCheney demand that Americans give him unfettered power to deal with terrorism, I am beginning to have doubts.

Which brings me back to my original thought. I don’t think that the terrorist threat is worth sacrificing our democracy. I understand that the threat is real and dangerous but I also believe that creating an all-powerful executive, free from all checks and balances, is an even greater threat. I, for one, will take the chance that a competent, effective leader can deal with the danger in the context of our Constitutional system. I don’t think we need to destroy America in order to save it. We cannot save America by destroying our Constitution; we can only create something with a similar name but without the soul or spirit that has made this nation the envy of the world.

My choice may put me at risk from a terrorist attack. But it’s an acceptable risk compared to destroying the Constitution, especially when so many other alternatives for combating terrorism are available. I can deal with the consequences of my choice and I think most Americans can do so too, once they look past BushCheney’s fearmongering rhetoric and recognize that the threat that he poses to the Constitutional government this nation has been so fortunate to enjoy for so much of its history.

It’s not like I’ve never faced death before. Thirty-five years ago, I patrolled the jungles of Vietnam, hoping to god I wouldn’t die. The funny thing about combat is that even in the face of a very real and immediate threat, life goes on. I adjusted to that reality even as I questioned the cause I was fighting for. I can easily face a lesser threat in defense of a real cause such as Liberty and Freedom.