How to Debate
Speech/Debate
The mock debate about the civil liberties in midst of war
Kate and Mary being contrary. Should we sacrifice civil liberties? To help fight the war on terror. The large scale of the 9 11 attacks exposed some obviously security flaws in our system. Terrorists slipped through immigration and airport checks and managed to live train and plan in the United States for several years. Because of this, Congress almost immediately passed the Patriot Act. Which gave the government substantially more powers to track down the terrorists, security has been tightened at airports, borders, and other places. A Department of Homeland Security has been created to oversee the efforts.
As more government power has been added, many have charged that our privacy and civil rights are being slowly taken away. Civil rights advocates say a dangerous form of government, big brother, is being established that threatens to destroy the American way of life. Dubious wartime efforts throughout our history such as Japanese internment and Cold War mccarthyism have been cited as justifiable reasons for these fears. Yes, but you must consider terrorists often don't commit crimes until they carry out the terrorist act itself. Thousands or millions of people could potentially be killed if our mission fails. Many terrorists are so fanatical, they will sacrifice their lives for the cause.
Al-Qaeda manuals even describe how to blend into society as a law abiding citizen. We really need stronger measures to protect our people. Oh, there's a potential for abuse by this administration or future administrations. Normal rights like trial by jury are being taken away. Even from American citizens, this leaves the door open for years of civil abuse, civil rights abuse. If we have more large scale scale terrorists incidents, how bad are things going to get, could we end up the type of paranoid police state that many Middle Eastern eastern countries live in, Kirk today? Well, you have to consider the economic damage of attacks could disrupt our entire economic system and put many people out of work the 9 11 attacks cost our economy literally billions of dollars. There is more to consider than just the number of lives saved or lost.
But you know, taking away civil rights, essentially destroys the very definition of what it means to be an American. Which in effect gives the terrorists a victory. One of the things that makes our country great is the ability to live a life free of government interference, whether or not you would agree with the government. This means that our constitutional protections are being violated and gives the president powers not endowed by the constitution. It has been said that the U.S. attorney general in his fight against terror has the U.S. Constitution in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other. Well, a certain amount of trust has to be put in the hands of the government. If we are to accomplish anything, our systems of checks and balances prevents the government from going too far. The courts can overrule any action by the president or by Congress.
We can vote people out of office for abuse. Public opinion can prompt the government to modify or overturn laws. Yes, but still abusing the rights of moderate Muslims and certain other groups may push them to the side of the extremists, possibly taking away a source of tips. There are plenty of Muslims and other Americans who don't believe in the vicious tactics taken by the terrorists. A wave of abuse of their civil rights may increase their dislike for the country to the point that they start to sympathize with the terrorists. This could create a new breed of terrorists. And more recruits could occur, that will perpetrate even more horrendous acts against innocent civilians.
You make some very good points, but boy do we see this differently? Yes, we do. However, we need to compromise because justice can not be for one side alone, but must be for both. So sad, Eleanor Roosevelt, and you don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note, according to duck Floyd.