Yesterday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich visited Drew University in New Jersey, where he took questions from 20 political science majors there. When one asked him how the government could justify stripping rights from Americans in such pieces of legislation as the Patriot Act, Gingrich said that the government has a “right to defend society,” and when under threat, “people will give up all their liberties“:
“If there’s a threat, you have a right to defend society,” Gingrich said. “People will give up all their liberties to avoid that level of threat.“
Gingrich is directly contradicted by Benjamin Franklin, who rejected the notion that one should give up one’s liberties out of fear:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
This disagreement is significant, because Gingrich considers Franklin one of his heroes… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Not only did Newt contradict one of his favorite heroes, but also he revealed the key to the GOP agenda for dismantling our Constitution. As long as they can keep us in fear, they believe we will ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a like Faux Noise sheep. Are we people, or are we sheeple?
