Originally Posted by benjamin
A quick aside:
Ayn Rand, philosopher and novelist, wrote endlessly about the evils of what she called collectivism, which she seems to define as public policy geared towards the good of the masses over the rights of the individual. Ayn Rand's philosophies are generally held in very high regard among neoconservatives. To see you trumpeting the public good over the rights of the individual is ironic to say the least.
I am not familiar with Ayn Rand so I cannot comment per-se.
But do not get me wrong, I value the individual greatly but feel there are limitations on what an individual can do. My big beef with the ACLU is that they seem to be working against keeping us (the collective masses) safe for the sake of individual civil liberties. The last thing I want is for more people to die in a terrorist attack because the law enforcement there to protect us has to be politically correct so as not to infringe upon any specific individual. If I have to be double or triple checked at an airport because I am sick with a fever and sweating and fit the profile of a potential terrorist then so be it. If my bag gets searched on the Boston subways because there is a potential threat then no big deal. I would much rather that than getting blown up on my way to work.