[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

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                       HON. C.L. ``BUTCH'' OTTER

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 18, 2002

  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to place into the Record the 
thoughts of one of my constituents, Ginny McConnell of Troy, Idaho. 
Every Member of this House should take Ginny's comments to heart as we 
consider further curbs on the freedoms we enjoy. I am proud of Ginny 
McConnell and of the people of Idaho who continue to cherish the 
lessons our Founding Fathers taught us more than two centuries ago.

                 Tough Decisions Have Hard Consequences

                          (By Ginny McConnell)

       Recently, one of my students left a message on my voice 
     mail to tell me she would be unable to come to class for the 
     three days of oral presentations because one of her children 
     was sick. Her group, now without her, had to scramble to 
     cover her part of their report. I had allocated 25 points for 
     the oral portion and 75 points for the written materials that 
     would be handed in.
       When the student returned to class, I told her she would 
     not get the 25 points for the oral report, since she was not 
     there. She immediately went to the college director to 
     complain that it was not fair that I should deny her those 25 
     points. This student was unclear on the concept that hard 
     decisions mean that you can't have it both ways. Her choice 
     to stay home with her sick child instead of finding someone 
     to sit with him meant that she had to forfeit the points for 
     the oral presentation.
       Possibly our advertising is at least partially at fault 
     here, with its ``you can have it all'' mentality. But Patrick 
     Henry understood the reality of difficult choices: ``Give me 
     liberty or give me death.'' I thought of him when I heard a 
     radio report that four out of five Americans said they would 
     give up their rights for the government to make the country 
     safe from terrorism. Possibly these people are like my 
     student: they think they won't really have to give up 
     anything, that they can keep their rights and be completely 
     safe from terrorism. Patrick Henry knew better.
       This is a very hard choice to make, no doubt about it. But 
     be very careful here, my friends. Don't be so quick to let 
     the government direct your lives and suspend the Bill of 
     Rights. Do those four out of five people think this will be a 
     temporary situation? Do they think they are safe because they 
     have nothing to hide from the government? Neither is true.
       To paraphrase John Steinbeck, the government is a monster 
     and the monster must be fed. It will not be satisfied with 
     just a little snack. And, even if terrorism should be 
     completely eradicated, the government will be more reluctant 
     to return those rights than a landlord with a large security 
     deposit. You can kiss them goodbye. They are so easy to give 
     up and so hard to get back. A right here, a right there . . . 
     pretty soon the government has gobbled them all up.
       I realize the importance of feeling safe and secure in our 
     country. But I also have come to realize that death is not 
     the worst thing that can happen. If I have to give up my 
     civil rights to the government, which always thinks it knows 
     how to run my life better than I do, then stand me up next to 
     Patrick Henry and shoot me. Were I to tolerate what four out 
     of five Americans seem willing to do, a million ghosts in 
     gray, in blue, in khaki, in olive drab and in camouflage 
     would rise up and chastise me with, ``What do you think we 
     died for? Now you've made it all for nothing.''
       Yes, I know that extraordinary times call for extraordinary 
     measures. And I will gladly put up with a search of my 
     luggage at the airport and a presentation of my picture 
     identification whenever. But that's a whole different 
     ballgame from the FBI coming warrantless into my home and 
     checking out my closets and my computer. We have ample 
     evidence of certain governmental arms expanding their 
     authority. Do those four out of five people honestly believe 
     this will not happen in their new America?
       We have a duty to preserve the United States for the 
     future. And if that means we give our lives for it today, 
     well, that's the price of liberty. I think we're a little too 
     concerned with our physical existence and not nearly enough 
     about our philosophical existence. We should think long and 
     hard about any powers we cede to the government--I should 
     say, to those we have allowed to represent us. Sometimes we 
     forget that we are the government. Let's not change that.
       As the late Jim Morrison said about life (and he would 
     know), ``No one here gets out alive.'' Sometimes tough 
     choices must be made, in which case we don't get the benefits 
     of the road we didn't take. If you don't make your oral 
     report, you don't get the points for it. If you give up your 
     rights, you don't get to keep them.

     

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