Ran across this excellent site for Progressive Voters in Whatcom County:
The only issue I disagreed with them on is their "straddle the fence" stand on HJR 4220. I am consistently against laws that would weaken fundamental rights guaranteed us either by the Bill of Rights or longstanding legal decisions. Usually these attempts are motivated by fear; fear of crime, fear of communism, fear of terrorism, fear of skin color, fear of the opinions of others, fear of guns, etc.
But every step we take to limit our rights puts us one step closer to Sparta rather than Athens. The death to a country's liberty and rights always comes in a series of small steps. It is always easy for our species to short-sightedly limit the rights of others we detest. Justice William O. Douglass pointed out the flaw in such reasoning succinctly: "The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected."
The same law that denies a true murderer bail might be used to deny a political activist falsely accused (or framed) tomorrow. This conflict is the freedom and burden we suffer with under our constitutional protections. It is why Thomas Jefferson once remarked, "Postpone to the great object of Liberty every smaller motive and passion."
