As Americans, we have many rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution. However, just because something is guaranteed to us doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll receive what is due to us. There are many forces that attempt to infringe on our rights — throughout history, many people have fought and died to preserve them. These soldiers of the battlefield served this country well, and we will forever remember their sacrifice.

In modern times, the soldiers protecting the American way have evolved. Business suits have replaced Army fatigues. Lawsuits have replaced projectile weaponry. We live in a different world now. There are people fighting for our rights everyday that go unseen, and, unfortunately, some of their publicity is negative.

Recently, this has been the case. Some have fired criticism at the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, a branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, for contesting a law that prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any school or child care facility in Des Moines. This has made it very hard for offenders to find residences in Des Moines due to the fact that two-thirds of the city is off-limits.

Some of you might be thinking, “If it makes it tough for them to find a place to live, too bad. They shouldn’t have committed the crime in the first place.” This is a quote from State Sen. Jerry Behn, a Boone Republican who supports the law in question.

Sadly, I believe this line of thought falls into the realm of closed-mindedness. It’s all too easy to think of sex offenders as unhuman and undeserving of their rights. In no way do I condone the actions of sex offenders, but I don’t see why their crimes warrant additional penalties. Why don’t murderers have the same restrictions placed upon them?

The reason is simple — no one cares. The people that do care are very scared of sex offenders, hence the numerous cruel and unusual punishments offenders have had to endure in the past. How would you like to have to place a bumper sticker on your car or a sign in your yard proclaiming your status as a sex offender? When no one else will stand up for what is right, the ACLU marches in and fights. That is precisely the reason I am a card-carrying member.

Post-Sept. 11, America has been a little scary for some people. For many, the government has become a safety blanket against terrorism. This has allowed the Patriot Act to live as long as it has. A lack of specific wording has granted unprecedented surveillance powers to our government. George Orwell would have a field day with our current situation. But most people don’t care — I guess they figure they still have their guns if a governmental overthrow is needed.

Section 215 of the Patriot Act deals with the government’s ability to access private records kept by organizations. Apparently, if private records are “sought out” for an investigation, the government has a right to obtain those records. The result of vague wording in this case grants enormous power to our government. Even the beloved Attorney General John Ashcroft himself has admitted this would allow the obtainment of computer files, educational records and genetic information.

Once again, the ACLU has jumped in to combat the evils that have taken up residence in American law. I have received numerous pamphlets in the mail about the civil rights violations that could easily take place under the hastily approved Patriot Act. For those of you requiring more information, I encourage you to browse the ACLU’s Web site at www.aclu.org.

To me, civil rights are paramount to any increase in our country’s safety. Let’s remember what makes our country so great — it’s not the fact that we are invincible. It’s not the fact that we can bomb the crap out of anyone that tries to harm us. Instead, what distinguishes us from the bad countries of the world is our ongoing protection of civil rights. Organizations such as the ACLU should receive the recognition they deserve as soldiers of a new world.