On the 4th of July thirty years ago I remember a heated discussion with my father about patriotism.
There must have been an incident of flag burning in the news that upset him. A World War II veteran, he believed desecrating the American flag to be an act warranting punishment. A young idealist, I thought that, as long as no one was injured, the act could be seen as freedom of expression – something I still see as fundamental to one of the core values this country was founded on.
And, of course, it follows that my father had every right to his opinion.
I think that, if he were alive today, we would be having another lively debate about the Patriot Act and now the Freedom Act. Would he be more concerned for his own privacy, or with the claim made by some government officials that personal privacy is a price we have to pay for national security?
Last week witnessed a rare agreement when the U.S. Senate voted 67-32 to approve the House version of the Freedom Act, which transfers the NSA’s data collection powers to telecommunication companies.
When I imagine my dad trying to get through the phone mire of one of these major companies, I can’t help but think he and I would be on the same page on this one – that, while definite progress has been made, we still have a way to go to protect our freedom.
I’m Paula Garrett, and that’s my perspective.
