Boston Bombers

Submitted by Argus 4 (United Kingdom), Apr 21, 2013 at 18:25

You suggest banning the niqab and burqa. I submit that both are so unusual in the States, that they draw unwanted attention. A far more elegant, but not the only, solution is to dye one's hair or wear a wig, disguise one's face and cross-dress. One needn't learn to walk in high heels, since many women -- especially tall ones -- wear low heels or flats.

Although I hate to state the obvious, we Americans must decide which we value more: security or freedom. Security will perhaps reduce the number of successful bombings and mass shootings. I'm not persuaded that we will avoid either, unless truly repressive security measures are taken.

Freedom entails dangers: economic, social, religious, among others. So far we've managed to keep more freedom than most other societies, the efforts of those in government especially but also of our non-governing colleagues who like those governing us with our consent are convinced that they know better than we what is good for us notwithstanding.

I hope the majority of my fellow citizens will be alert enough to keep their freedoms from being nibbled away in the name of security (it's unlikely that they will be usurped at once) and will be willing to risk certain assurances for the sake of the freedoms our country was founded to guarantee to us.

There are, however, days when I wonder whether we are still the risk takers many of our ancestors were.

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