IP: On Civil Liberties

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

                            Civil Liberties
                                   by
                           Prof. J. Finnegan
                        Oceanview University, KS

We all know and love Benjamin Franklin's immortal statement that "Those
who are willing to trade civil liberties for temporary security, deserve
neither".  But only a few know the background of this declaration.  The
purpose of this research paper is to describe the chain of events that
led to it.

It was a sunny day in Cambridge, MA.  No cloud floated in the blue sky.
Summer flowers were blooming.  The breeze from the ocean made it a
perfect 72 degrees day, with no humidity.  In the center of the Yard all
the students were gathered to celebrate the 140th birthday of Harvard
University, which was founded in 1636.

On that morning, of the third day of July, they were patiently waiting
to hear the Honorable Benjamin Franklin who came all the way from
Philadelphia to deliver a talk about our fundamental civil liberties.
The press was waiting with their quills.

They were not disappointed.  Mr. Franklin warned them to guard their
civil rights, and to beware of the slippery slope, once you tolerate the
smallest violation of your rights, be it as small as small may be, the
door is quite open to bigger and bigger violations.  No infraction of
civil rights should be tolerated, he warned his audience which inhaled
each and every word.  He iterated the importance of guarding one's
fundamental liberties and warned against any threat that may start their
erosion.

Just then a strange sound pierced the silence.  Mr. Franklin apologized
and pulled his two-way alphanumeric beeper from his vest pocket and
found out that he was summoned back to Philadelphia to sign the
Declaration of Independence on the very next day.

Being the modest person he was, Mr. Franklin did not tell his audience
about it, and spent the rest of the day around the university as
scheduled.  However, due to the importance of the Declaration, he
canceled his visit to MIT, the trade school down the river.  That visit
was scheduled for the next day.  Given his technical inclination this
cancelation saddens him to no end, but his duty to the nation was, as
always, his highest calling.

After a dinner at the faculty club at the end of the day, Mr. Franklin
headed to Logan.  There, in the Eastern Airline terminal, he was greeted
warmly by everyone.  He enjoyed the few moments that he still had before
his flight by getting coffee and slowly strolling to the gate.

As he approached the gate two security officers stopped him and wanted
to search his carry-on luggage for bombs.  "It's for your own security"
they said.

Mr. Franklin was shocked, still being under the influence of the address
that he had delivered that morning at the Yard.  He verified that they
had neither a search warrant nor a probable cause to search his luggage.
Then he reminded the security officers what the 4th amendment is about.
Without hesitation he explained to them that his civil liberties were
more important than their petty preoccupation with security.

The security guards tried to trick him by referring to that search as a
mere "voluntary airport screening" for his safety and convenience, which
he did not have to undergo, unless -- of course -- if he wanted to be on
that plane.  Mr. Franklin did not fall for this, either.

Then, in the loudest voice that he could muster, as if he was addressing
his usual crowd of thousands without an operating PA system, he
announced the historic "Those who are willing to trade civil liberties
for temporary security, deserve neither".  All the people in the
terminal demonstrated their approval by a long standing ovation.
The reporters who happened to be there took it down for posterity.

Mr. Franklin collected his luggage and proudly left the terminal.  Once
outside, he returned to the Hertz counter, rented a fresh horse, and in
no time was on his long way to Philadelphia.

After riding all night he made Philadelphia just in the nick of time and
added his signature to the declaration of independence, among those of
the other eight Pennsylvanians and the other forty seven representatives
of other states.

Until his last day Benjamin Franklin never knew if he was more proud for
having signed this historical document, or for having done it with his
integrity and his civil liberties intact, which is far more important
in the long run.

For the rest of his life Mr. Franklin had banned all commercial
airlines, refusing to temporarily trade his civil liberties for
security, hence proving that he deserved both.  He often explained
that he'd rather ride his horse with his civil liberties intact than
ride a plane without them.

Mr. Franklin was always comforted by knowing that he was not alone and
that all those who shared his conviction about civil liberties also
avoided all commercial flights despite the tremendous impractical
inconvenience caused by this ban.  He harbored no respect for those who
temporarily traded their civil liberties for the mere practicality and
convenience of air transport.

........................................................................

                   Facts in Support of This Research

Extensive research has verified that:

[1] On July-4-1776 Mr. Franklin did not visit MIT.
[2] On July-3-1776 Mr. Franklin did not fly on Eastern to Philadelphia.
[3] At no time after July-3-1776 Mr. Franklin did subject himself to
     "voluntary airport screening".
[4] On July-4-1776 Mr. Franklin did sign the declaration of independence
     (see the third signature in the fourth column).
[5] On July-4-1776 55 other representatives also signed this declaration.

                                                                        [end]