In 1775 Ben Franklin’s opined individuals who sacrifice
liberty for temporary safety should not expect to have the benefit of
either. Franklin seems to doubt an
individual who gives up their safety (places themselves in a position to be
subject to harm) experiences any liberty.
Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive
restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life. In many government buildings citizens give up
their privacy (an essential liberty) and walk through metal detectors to insure
the safety of the environment. If
your safety requires the government to control the environment at the expense
of privacy is anyone really safe or in possession of their liberty?