Give me liberty or give me...mocha?

Listening to Rush as he makes a point I've tried to make to others, namely that the current crisis invites a reduction in personal liberty that should be resisted.. Too many people say, "I'm not doing anything wrong, come search my [home/computer/car/body/etc.]." Rather cavalier attitude, especially given that granting such open access won't prevent another 9/11, ostensibly the reason for the proposed changes (or that horror known as The Patriot Act). And after the crisis subsides, after we either accept a certain level of terror or (preferably) squish the terrorists out of existence, will these surrendered liberties be returned? Bureaucratic history (and momentum) says, "No."

I'm not willing to surrender an iota of what I consider personal liberty, and I don't expect you to, either. No, you can't read my mail, scan my email, etc., just because doing so is part of some broad, general data sweep. If you can specific a suspect, or even a suspect profile, have at it, but that formulates that little thing called "probable cause," upon which virtually all law enforcement actions hinge. You can't develop PC, everything you do from that moment on is suspect and probably illegal (unconstitutional). Drives so many cops crazy, but it's so damn easy to develop and work up. All you have to do is learn how to articulate your observations and present your facts. And no, I'm not talking out my posterior. I did this as a small town cop for some nine years, volunteer reserve and full-time employment.

So work up the criminal profile and work the profile. Every person in the country doesn't fit the profile, and those that don't deserve to be left alone.