Response to group 1's reading

I always admire Feingold's courage and wisdom in casting the only "no" vote against the Patriot Act. The strength of the United States in large part is dependent on its adherence to rule of law and democracy. At time of fear and war, it's very tempting for people to consider abandoning those principle in exchange for immediate gain of security. But that may put the country on a slippery slope toward authoritarian rule and loss of freedom, the very reason why we fight the war. Feingold's speech gives us an insightful historical perspective: we should not act recklessly and hastily; we should consider the Act's long term implication very carefully.

The debate of the Act also reminds me of the Star War movie. A great hero, Anakin Skywalker defeated many enemies from the dark side. But when facing his mother's death, he was seized by the urge of revenge and abandoned the code of Jedi. That's the start of his downfall. He lost his soul gradually and finally became Darth Vader, the much feared one on the dark side. I hope this country has a strong backbone to resist the temptation of fear, and wisdom to always look far and long term.