Recently, the President addressed Congress and, citing the Iraqis attempt to purchase nuclear material from an African nation, received funding for a war. The evidence cited was later found to be a forgery.

The Attorney General appears before a Congressional Committee to ask for additional revisions to the so-called “Patriot Act” and testifies that, because of police surveillance on public libraries and customers, the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski was captured. Oh?

No, the Unabomber was captured when his brother David read one of the Unabomber Manifestos published in a newspaper and, realizing who wrote it, called the FBI.

My point is: Who can we trust?

The proposed revisions of the current Patriot Act will give the offices of the President and Attorney General near dictatorial powers that include, among others, searches without a warrant, arrest, possibly even loss of one’s citizenship and also execution.

And all of this could be done without due process or even an announcement of arrest to family or friends!

These are the types of powers usually taken by dictators and totalitarian regimes and are foreign to American democracy. Ben Franklin once said: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Harsh words, but I’m convinced that we’re still made of the same steel as our forefathers. America has withstood every foe for more than 225 years because of our constitutional guarantees and our desire to live free.

America will continue to overcome all foes, foreign and domestic, because of our love of liberty.

We need to let our government officials know we can win any war against terrorists or any other foe and still maintain our constitutional rights for all citizens.

Two hundred and twenty-five years of shed American blood has made it so and will, by God’s grace, continue that heritage for the coming generations.

Scott Zorc

Buford, GA