In 1814, the British marched on Washington and burned down the White House. In World War II, the United States fought a virulent fascism that took tens of millions of lives. During the cold war, we faced down tens of thousands of nuclear-tipped missiles pointed directly at our cities. These conflicts struck at the very heart of our survival as a nation.

Although there have always been men who call for dictatorial powers in times of crisis, our Bill of Rights survived these threats intact because our leaders knew that these freedoms are the foundation of our strength as a nation and must be protected.

Today we hear from the Bush administration that freedom must be traded for security -- that unless we cede our rights as citizens to the proper authorities, we will never be safe. Showing no historical perspective, callow pundits claim that the threats we face today are overwhelming compared to anything in the past.

Luckily, Americans are made of sterner stuff. We'll continue to protect freedom, and it will make us strong.

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