When Expedience Feels Like Wisdom

“Let’s stop worrying about people’s rights.” Sadly there are dozens of junctures in American history from which that shameful quote might spring. It could date as far back as 1798 when President Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts, making it illegal to criticize the U.S. government. It could come from the 1870s when Southern Democrats used violence to bar black voters from the polls and Northern Republicans looked the other way. It was actually said just last week on Fox “News,” when Bo Dietl, a former New York City cop, to cross the line from the simply stupid to the downright chilling, as he called for mass surveillance of mosques. Unconstitutional, you say? “Let’s stop worrying about people’s rights,” he said.