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important lesson(s) of Sept. 11, 2001important lesson(s) of

Daily newsbrief journal for May 2004, also see http://www.usdemocrats.com/brief for a global 100-page perpetual brief and follow twitter @usdemocrats


important lesson(s) of Sept. 11, 2001important lesson(s) of

Postby admin » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:43 am

important lesson(s) of Sept. 11, 2001important lesson(s) of Sept. 11, 2001« Thread Started on May 22, 2004, 11:57pm »--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Al Sharpton1/18/20041) Please summarize the most important lesson(s) of Sept. 11, 2001. Since 9/11 we have learned that leading up to September 11, 2001 there were several critical intelligence failures within our national security network. We also learned that our national security system was in many ways dysfunctional. After 9/11, America learned that rivalries and bureaucratic barriers between the FBI and the CIA prevented them from adequately communicating with one another and sharing and using vital information that could have prevented the attacks in the first place. We also became aware of the fact that America had no contingency plan for a catastrophic attack on our own soil and that our resources were concentrated too heavily in ivory towers in Washington D.C. and not in place on the front lines with the first responders where they are needed most.In some ways we have improved our planning and response capabilities but in other ways, more than two years after the attacks, we fail to make use of the lessons we learned that day. In my home state of New York, many firehouses have been closed and firefighters and emergency personnel still do not have the equipment and resources they need. Much of the money that was promised to enhance our first responder capabilities and protect critical infrastructure such as dams, nuclear reactors and water treatment facilities was never delivered or was not put into place for its intended purpose. If we do not learn from the events of our recent history we increase the chances that we will be forced to repeat them. We can, and must, do better.The loss of American men and women at the Pentagon, at the World Trade Center and in Pennsylvania is tragic, but in an effort to protect the lives of all Americans going forward we must be careful not to trample or extinguish our sacred rights and civil liberties in the process. The Patriot Act, which Senator Edwards co-sponsored and John Kerry and Joe Lieberman voted for, is one of the worst violations of American civil liberties since the federal government sent Japanese and German Americans to concentration camps in the U.S. in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Benjamin Franklin once said "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."We must not turn back the clock on the civil liberties and freedoms we all enjoy as citizens thanks to the service and sacrifice of prior generations since the founding of the Republic in the name of security. If we allow the Patriot Act to become permanent, we will allow the terrorists a victory that is far more profound and more damaging to our Democracy and in the long run will have neither liberty nor safety.2) Have federal courts gone too far in requiring the removal of religious symbols or language from schools and other public places?No. The courts have not gone too far in maintaining the separation of church and state in public places. Our public places should not be used to put forth any particular religious viewpoint or message. Christian symbols and language have their place in many venues, homes and places of worship, but should not be placed in government buildings or public property any more than symbols of other faiths such as Islam or Judaism have any place in our courtrooms and public areas.© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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