Posted by WDO on July 27, 2000 at 04:16:15:
In Reply to: Out of Context? posted by Linnette on July 25, 2000 at 20:45:29:
Linnette, I have great respect for you (where have you been, by the way? We've missed you!) I tried to ignore your posting here, but you have specifically asked me to address your comments so here goes:
1. In what context could that statement have possibly been acceptable? Are you saying that there are times when our personal freedom *should* be limited? Which times are those? And who gets to decide that? Besides, we both know that violations of our Bill of Rights happen every day, all over America. What offended me so much about that quote was not that Bill Clinton said it (who shives a git about him) but that the President of the United States of America gives the appearance of condoning those violations. What private interpretation do you think, say, our law enforcement officials are going to make of the President's statement? Of course no official sanction of brutality will be forthcoming; it's against the Bill of Rights (nudge nudge wink wink).
2. Are you also telling me that Congress isn't likely to do what the President wants them to? That's a bit naive, I think. But you're right: no Constitutional Amendments are forthcoming, methinks.
3. Granted the quote may not be correct; the occasion of the statement wasn't given. However, it sounds remarkably like something Slick Willie would say, doesn't it? And the preceding quote sounds a lot like Thomas Jefferson, too. In other words, I have no reason to doubt the veracity of my source. Which, by the way, is a little email newsletter called "Quote of the Day" from, I believe, Shagmail.com. I'd like to think those folk would speak truly; but, now, I may be the one who's being naive.
-Lisa