Of ACLU, NYC and the police state

After the bombings in London, police in NYC started randomly searching the bags of the riders. NYT has an article (registration may be required) with more details.

I am thoroughly disgusted by this development, I would quote some of my favorite authors to illustrate why:

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
-- Benjamin Franklin

and

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
-- George Orwell

What people don't want to hear is that random searches are not increasing our security in dangerous time. Sacrificing the rights or people who use the public subways is not going to stop a determined terrorist from exploding the bomb or causing harm, but is going to increase the goverment powers in direct violation of the 4th ammendment. And as another great American said:

"As government expands, liberty contracts."
-- Ronald Reagan

ACLU is filing a lawsuit against the city of New York. As strange as it may sound, I am finding myself supporting ACLU on this one.

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on iPod: off