ACLU Opinion January 2004
I can understand why the ACLU would be upset about
the new
plan to color code air line passengers with regards to that
individual’s possibility of being a security threat.
The ACLU shares in our nation’s founders’ hatred of government. Our country’s founder set up a government with
a purpose of insuring “life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness” for
all
citizens. In their idealistic zeal,
members of the ACLU focus on item three, forgetting that life and
liberty are
the foundations for the pursuit of happiness.
Our
nation’s founders set up a government for the purpose of granting all
citizens
an equal amount
of such rights. Limits
are placed on each individual as to guarantee those rights to other
individuals. Speed limits and red lights
are examples of items which set limits on the pursuit of happiness upon
certain
individual’s as to better secure the right to life for all on our
nation’s
roads. I do not see the ACLU trying to
repeal such laws as most members are probably glad to see such
individuals
under control.
September
11th is a grim reminder that some individual’s “pursuit of
happiness” came at the expense of life for nearly 3,000 people. The
hijackers
were perusing a happy after-life by becoming martyrs of the jihad.
If ACLU offices were located in
The Pentagon, the 109th floor
of the Sears Tower,
the 101rst floor of the Empire State Building
and within other
such landmark locations, I am sure that their priorities would change. Insuring life to all as to have reasonable
liberty and a reasonable pursuit of happiness would be more important
than
granting liberties in a manner which could at the expense of life for
some.