Our Nation takes great pride in the amount of personal freedoms and individual privileges that we enjoy. Without going into a history lesson, we are all familiar with the great suffering and sacrifices made by our forefathers that allow us to enjoy a way of life that is second to no one in the world.

Now, having said that, some people fear that those rights and privileges are disappearing right in front of our eyes. Those same hand twisters say that this attack on our freedoms is being perpetrated by the very government that gave them to us in the first place. The truth of the matter is that in some ways they are right. But, any taking away of rights, if you will, in this case is actually an attempt to protect our citizens. The cold hard fact that we must all come to accept is that on September 11, 2001, our way of life changed forever. Our government has been forced to make drastic changes in an attempt to ensure that there is no sequel to that tragic day.

The rights that we enjoy were used and abused by persons inside our country who were hell bent to see us fall. Unfortunately, certain rights that we enjoy make it easy for terrorists to openly go about the business of destruction without hiding behind a veil or by means of subterfuge. After the fact reports have shown us all how open and blatant the 9-11 terrorists were before they carried out their plans. We simply cannot afford to allow this to occur again.

The Patriot Act is an example of legislation that was passed by Congress that will go far to ferret out those people who have made it their lives goal to cause destruction to our country. This act allows law enforcement and intelligence networks to monitor activity with a broader microscope and unties the hands of those who have encountered one barrier after another in attempts to circumvent terrorism. Policies that we now see in our airports, as well as, new measures that have been implemented in our Immigrations And Naturalization Service also provide needed ammunition to ensure that we remain a safe nation. Does this infringe on our rights and daily conveniences? The answer is absolutely yes! But, we have to depend on the "forest for the trees" argument as we examine these losses. If this is what is needed, on a temporary basis, to get a hold on what had ran rampart for many years then it must be done. If we do not, the way of life that some fear we are losing, will not even be an option for our children and grandchildren in the future.

As the saying goes, unusual times require unusual measures. None will argue the seriousness of the world in which we live. I would much rather see the lines of peaceful protest (a right that we still enjoy) from those who fear a loss of privilege than to see the long lines of family members as they identify the remains of their loved ones should we have another such tragedy. We no longer have the option to sit back and hope that nothing else happens. Most experts agree that we will have another event such as 9-11 that will occur within our country. So do we sit back and say "Whoa is me" or do we take an aggressive stance and make it as difficult as possible to carry out such a plan? What value is there in these personal freedoms if we live in a country where we are afraid to get on a plane, or cross a bridge, or go to work for that matter.

We live in the best country in the entire world. For those of you who do not believe that, I would invite you to identify one that is better. Is it perfect? Not by a long stretch! However, if the sacrifices that we are currently making will put us back on the road to the place that we all want to be, then I suppose I can get to the airport a little earlier. I guess I can accept the fact that if I am corresponding with would be terrorists, that someone might be listening. If I am sending money to Al-Queida, I think I can live with the fact that someone might know about it.

Take a close look at these "losses" that we hear so much about. How much have they affected you in your everyday life and how much good have they done to locate, arrest, and prosecute those who mean harm to us all. The answer is obvious.