Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I was asked to read a few articles on the Patriot Act and then give list of liberties I would be willing to give up in order to feel secure from the threat of terrorism. Well, that’s a tough one. I feel like liberties are a privilege, but so is protection. I don’t feel like either is a right and therefore it is hard for me to decide what I would be willing to give up in order to feel safe and secure. We as citizens also have the right to the pursuit of happiness as long as it doesn’t negatively affect those around us, and I for one would not want to not be able to do what I enjoy and live my life because of some rule that the government had put over me for my protection, nor would I want to always live in fear. I feel there is a fine line that the government has to be careful to not cross: yes, we want to keep our citizens safe, but then is being so involved in every detail of citizen’s lives so much so that they feel as if they have no personal privacy really safe. Since I have nothing to hide, I don’t have a problem with them listening to my phone calls or security checks but I do want to live my life and not have someone constantly in my business. So I think that if they have probable cause and don’t abuse this power I then it can be useful. I don’t have a problem giving them information, but I personally would rather live with more freedoms, less invasiveness, and the small possibility that another 9-11 might take place then not enjoy living my life because of rules, regulations, and fear. Many people need to look at reality. Some people are afraid to fly because they are afraid of crashing or maybe even another 9-11 attack, however they dismiss the fact that they get behind the wheel of a car everyday and more people are known to have died in car wrecks every year. I could die today by playing soccer and lightning striking the field, I could die today by sitting in front of a TV and having a heart attack, or even die today when a robber breaks into my house and shoots me. But just because these are possibilities I don’t stop doing things I enjoy like playing soccer, watching TV or living in my house. I enjoy living life and think that Americans as a whole should still do the same.