Patriotism shouldn’t overshadow civil liberties

  Oscar Madrigal Madrigal is a fourth-year
English student who would love to hear from you at [email protected].

Last week a voice was silenced. At the Watts Towers Arts Center,
a multimedia exhibit entitled “WAR” by Alex Donis
““ which included paintings of LAPD officers dancing with gang
members ““ was censored by a few community organizations that
didn’t like what the art was about.

The exhibit’s opening reception was due to take place on
Sunday, Sept. 23. Instead, visitors were greeted with empty
walls.

When I found out about this, I began thinking back to the
aftermath of the events of Sept. 11 and the emotions I have felt
since the terrorist attacks. Confusion, anger, frustration ““
these were the same things I felt about the WAR exhibit.

But these emotions were somewhat dispelled after the first
announcements of increased security at airports and on flights were
made. The way people came together to remember the tragedy gave me
a sense of peace. It also gave me hope that this unity, accompanied
by new measures to make our country safer, would help restore
normalcy.

But, then they came. In hundreds, then thousands: the flags.

Red, white and blue, they were plastered all over town; all over
the television; over businesses and freeways. I saw them hanging
out of people’s cars, like some twisted Lakers craze. And
someone asked me: “Where’s your American
flag?”

I didn’t have one.

All of a sudden I was afraid, afraid of being labeled
un-American. With all the safety precautions, the warnings, threats
of war, funerals and vigils, I was afraid to speak my mind.

Is that what happened to the “WAR” exhibit? Were
people so afraid that in order to avoid problems or hear a voice of
controversy, members of the community silenced that voice.

I was given a dirty look by one of my co-workers for being
critical of George W. Bush during one of his speeches. All of a
sudden Democrats and Republicans are holding hands and singing
“God Bless America” ““ and we’re not allowed
to be critical of them?

Wrong.

  Illustration by ERICA PINTO/Daily Bruin This is the time
we should be most critical of them, and of ourselves.

In a freedom-loving nation we should still treasure our rights
and privileges. We should defend our civil liberties from those who
would seek to limit or end them even in the name of
“safety”. If we don’t, then the terrorists
win.

After this tragedy it’s important that we all realize that
it is up to us as citizens to rebuild and go o0n with our lives.
That means maintaining our right to freedom of speech and freedom
of the press and the freedom to assemble.

It doesn’t mean allowing censorship to silence our
opinions as it did with the WAR exhibit.

What kind of a nation would we be if we gave that up? Not one
that deserves to go around waving the U.S. flag outside of our car
windows.

We should be aware of public and national safety, but we should
also be mindful as to what we are giving up before it’s too
late to get it back.

The point here is to open up dialogue with ourselves. We must
ask ourselves: How much do we value our civil liberties? How much
do we take them for granted?

Hopefully, the answers to these questions will lead us to find
the right balance between freedom and safety.

I know that after what happened to the “WAR” exhibit
I won’t be taking my civil liberties for granted.

What can we do to protect our liberties? The easiest thing to do
is to be more aware of them and more appreciative of them. That
also encompasses understanding that everyone has a right to be
heard, even if we don’t like what they have to say.

I have debated over whether or not to write this column. Perhaps
it would be better to wait until time has passed and life returns
to normal. But then I’d be putting myself in a chokehold.
Since I fear that life may not return to a normal state, if I
don’t speak my mind now, I may not be allowed to do so in the
future.