At What Cost

From the civilization centuries ago, civil liberty has been an idea that few have entertained. Only recently has civil liberty become an idea people fight for. However, over the course of the last century, the conflict between the necessity for civil liberties and the necessity for security has become more prevalent. Civil liberties are more important than security due to the American belief in four freedoms, peace, and justice. Roosevelt’s state of the Union address featured the four freedoms of speech, worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear that he felt needed to be guaranteed to the world in order to establish peace. Roosevelt along with many Americans felt that the goal is to protect and provide security for those exercising their civil liberties.

Civil liberties include the ability to perform actions, say things, have access to resources, information, and facilities. The denial of these liberties cannot be justified by claims of necessity or any other means like those that were given when the Japanese were interned following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is immoral to justify the imprisonment of people due to their ancestry as necessary for security. For if securing liberty comes at the cost of liberty, what is being secured? Civil liberties take precedence over security for they are the basis for American values of peace and justice.