Freedom and Safety

Re "Homeland Insecurity" [May 13]: Why are Americans so fearful of being watched? I believe it comes down to the interpretation of the rule of law. Many security laws in the U.S. are in place as a function of public safety, yet they are often set in stone. In Europe they are considered guidelines in which the first step is to educate transgressors of the reasoning behind statutes. Compliance is first sought through education. The police are very patient and are less likely to react solely on the basis of dispensing penalty. The cut-and-dry "it is the law" approach...

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