Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource TomPaine.com Stories Description An account of the resource TomPaine.com -- a liberal advocacy organization -- distributed a public call on August 12, 2002 for 300 word "opinion advertisement" similar to those that the organization had been running regularly in the op-ed page of The New York Times. TomPaine.com received hundreds of submissions from the public, most of which the September 11 Digital Archive has preserved here. TomPaine Story TomPaine Story: Story Toward A More Perfect Union The events of September 11 taught Americans several shocking lessons. We learned that our protective systems were imperfect and that we were passionately hated in some parts of the world. We learned that we were vulnerable, after all. In the year since, our nation has attempted to address this vulnerability through new laws and programs meant to make us safe from terror. Roger D. Congleton, in the summer issue of The Independent Review, argues that our nations response to terrorism since September 11 has been overblown. "I basically think we are really overreacting to this in a fairly large way," said Congleton, an economist at George Mason University, in an August interview. ""I think it would be useful for the press and the government to be reminded that the risks are not as gigantic as we seem to have been encouraged to believe over the last year."" Congletons message is primarily economic: We need not spend so much more money on terrorism than on any other threat, perceived or real, to which we are subject. But we have been spending far more than money. We have been writing checks against our freedoms to pay off the perceived threat of terrorism. No amount of protection is worth what some of our leaders have asked us to give up. From the Justice Departments Operation TIPS, which attempts to pit citizen against citizen; to the FBIs accessing of public library lending lists; to the unlawful detention of American citizens without due process, we are trading our rights, which constitute Americas greatest wealth, for "safety." Hopefully September 11 can teach us one more thing: that we must not compromise our freedoms in order to defend them. Our nation, this "more perfect union," depends on our learning this most difficult lesson. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource tp208.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-03-10