IP: A focus on some good words.

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Re Dan Gilmor's news column which I just sent to IP . I want to focus
special attention onwhat he says. I hate to be corny but liberty is hard to
defend but must be defended. 


To quote the founder of UPen:


"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary 
 safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."       - Ben Franklin, ~1784




Dans text:


"You can disagree with politicians who pass laws that shred fundamental
liberties when they truly believe they're right. You should have nothing
but contempt for the ones who vote this way solely to inoculate themselves
against right-wing attack advertisements during campaigns, counting on the
courts to rule the laws unconstitutional. Sometimes it's unclear who's who.
But if you care about your right to read what you want, when you want, you
should oppose them whatever the motive.


In an age when political campaigns are controlled by attack ads and
politicians are controlled by big-money ``contributors'' who expect
something for their ``contributions,'' maybe it's asking too much to expect
intellectual integrity. Maybe citizens are too burned out by their jobs and
family lives to pay better attention.


But our basic freedoms are at stake here. If we won't take them seriously,
perhaps we shouldn't expect any better from the people we elect to
represent us."