DON'T RISK FREEDOMS FOR NO GAIN

Congress has acted in unity and with speed to authorize President Bush to
dispatch troops to apprehend terrorists and to approve money to aid New
York City and the crippled airline industry. But the lawmakers apparently
will not be rushed into approving some new law enforcement powers the
administration is seeking for its war against terrorism. Some have
questioned whether some provisions are constitutional or would take too
many of the civil liberties of Americans. Congress is right to take it
slow. We must enhance our security, but let's be very sure that any
freedoms we give up are traded for considerable gains in safety. Attorney
General John Ashcroft has asked that the government be allowed to use the
same weapons against terrorism that it already has against illegal drug
trafficking and organized crime. The part of the proposal getting the most
attention would give the government wider authority to conduct electronic
surveillance in the United States. The government could conduct "roving
wiretaps" to listen to all of a person's conversations. Traditional
warrants limit such surveillance to a specific phone or line. Ashcroft also
proposes giving the government more power to monitor e-mail communications
and Web site visits. Both Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate
Judiciary Committees have spoken of the need to act with caution. "We have
to be careful that in our horror and revulsion over this horrendous and
terrible act we don't start giving away the freedoms that make us different
from terrorists," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy
cautioned. "[If we do so], some would argue that the terrorists win."
Americans are eager to reclaim security, a fact that could create a climate
in which the nation might agree to overreaching measures. Some individuals
and companies are talking about the need for a national ID card and
sophisticated surveillance techniques. Congress should, by all means, take
steps to ensure security. But lawmakers also must take care to ensure that
we don't lose treasured freedoms unnecessarily.