Freedom

2 Pages 531 Words

Anytime a person writes an opinion on anything to do with September 11, there is always room for controversial issues that tag along. Declan McCullagh wrote a piece on how national security overrides America’s personal liberties in time of war and McCullagh believes that “During all major wars, the government restricted Americans’ civil liberties in the name of quelling dissent, silencing criticism of political decisions and reserving national security” (535). He gives examples that support his claim, examples that are very supportive, though he doesn’t state his stand on the issue. He uses moral equivalence, a very good argumentative defense, to convince his readers of his belief. He compares all the past wars with his belief on how personal liberties have been affected, and proves them throughout his essay.
McCullagh gives examples from all of America’s major wars (the Civil War, WWI, and WWII) and shows how personal liberties of Americans were in fact affected. Though he doesn’t state whether or not he agrees with the matters he speaks about, he does prove through his examples that the event has actually happened and the personal liberties were indeed affected. His best argument in my eyes is his statement about WWII. Executive order 9066 authorized President Roosevelt and the military to remove Japanese-Americans from Americas west coast, home to America’s military bases. As unfair and judgmental that may seem, this act was kept silent until years after the war (537). The personal liberties given to the people of this country are protected by the Constitution of the United States. But at time of war, should congress or the President have the authority to alienate a certain race of people for safety while breaking the rules of war set by our forefathers?
Like I said above, anytime a person writes about September 11, or any war for that matter, there is always room for a contradiction in any opinion. McCullagh s...