Online Edition | Washington State University | Pullman, Washington | Friday, October 5, 2001

Terrorism Panel
Security vs. Freedom:
Which Will Americans Choose?
By Debra Smith, News Bureau

A lawyer, a student and faculty members from the History and Women’s Studies departments debated whether America’s freedom would be diminished in exchange for a more secure country in the Sept. 27 panel discussion, "Public Security and the American Tradition of Personal Freedom."

More than 100 students, faculty and staff attended the event in the CUB Auditorium and questioned the panel about such issues as whether war is necessary and whether law-abiding citizens should worry about less privacy.

Historic perspective
Historically, Americans have not been able to maintain both their civil liberties and heightened levels of national security, argued panel member LeRoy Ashby, a professor of history.

Citizens were fined heavily and hit with hefty prison sentences under the Espionage Acts during World War I, he said. One minister received a 15-year sentence for describing Jesus as a pacifist during a church sermon. That opinion was viewed as an act of disloyalty by the courts.

The U.S. government locked away American citizens in internment camps during World War II because they were of Japanese descent, Ashby reminded the audience. And during the Cold War, the government engaged in a massive spying campaign in pursuit of national security.

While everyone wants to feel secure, Ashby said measures to maintain that freedom often come with unintended consequences. In particular, he worried about military tribunals that strip away defendants’ legal rights and a proposed national security cabinet position with vaguely defined powers.

"You can start out with something that makes such good sense, but it gets out of hand," Ashby said.

Freedom’s Real Meaning
Panel member Mary Bloodsworth, women’s studies faculty member, challenged the audience to consider the real meaning of personal freedoms with a provocative example from her own life.

She plans to travel to the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area soon. And although she expects some minor delays and inconveniences—what some might consider a loss of personal freedoms—she is sure her appearance as a Caucasian American woman won’t bring the loss of liberty others have experienced recently.

Northwest Airlines booted two men of Middle Eastern descent from a flight because other passengers refused to board the plane if they were allowed on. She said the airline defended its discriminatory practices by describing the move as "public security." She urged listeners to consider who the majority thought the public to be.

Bloodsworth later added government officials have been trying to rally citizens behind "a new kind of war," rather than taking a moment to reflect on those in other countries "who we exploit for our tennis shoes." Instead, many Americans reacted by "rushing to Wal-Mart to buy their American flags."

Fight for civil liberties
Pullman attorney Robert Patrick, panel member, argued staunchly for civil liberties, asking if Americans give up their personal rights to the government, "how long will it be until we fear the government as much as the terrorists?" But he acknowledged that complete freedom is impossible.

"If we give up personal rights to government, rights others have died for will be washed away, but if we don’t, the government’s efforts to stop terrorism will be compromised," he said.

Saying he hoped the audience had been checked for cabbages on the way in, Patrick advocated using military strikes.

"I don’t think we can hang our heads and say, ‘Gee, we’re sorry,’ or we are going to get nailed again and again," he said.

Racial Profiling
Panel member Francesca Delgado, a political science student, did not support military action, but said American ideals such as those in the Bill of Rights made the country special. She denounced racial profiling and asked if citizens would be willing to give up personal phone calls and e-mails.

Deborah Love, director of the university’s Center for Human Rights, moderated the discussion. It is part of "An American Tragedy—A Discussion Series" organizers hope will enrich student experience and improve campus climate after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

The next discussion, "The Middle East: The Complexity Behind the Crisis," focuses on the region’s cultural and religious beliefs. The time and location will be announced later.