Limiting our freedoms is sometimes necessary
Re “We can’t win this war the old way,” Commentary, July 10
I can respect Timothy Garton Ash’s pronouncement that he would rather remain free and risk dying at the hands of terrorists than surrender any of his freedoms. I do not, however, agree with his view, because it is only while we are alive that we can fight to preserve our way of life.
War always requires sacrifices, even if it means temporarily limiting our freedoms so that they may not be abused by our enemies. That is why our Constitution permits suspension of the writ of habeas corpus during times of invasion and rebellion.
President Lincoln did precisely that during the Civil War; when peace returned, so did the right. If we are to win this war against an enemy who does not wear uniforms nor follows rules of engagement, we must be ready to either sacrifice at home or fight like our enemy. Take your choice.
Aggie R. Hoffman
Los Angeles
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