Rights vs. Public Safety After 9 11: America in the Age of Terrorism

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the tension between civil rights and public safety has dominated public discourse. On issues ranging from racial profiling to military tribunals, Americans have had to ask whether it is possible for the United States to defend itself against terrorism without violating the values and principles that lie at the heart of its democratic order. In Rights vs. Public Safety after 9/11, some of the nation's leading legal experts and social critics confront this question head-on. The contributors offer measured, often communitarian, approaches to topics such as the changes in United States immigration policy after September 11th, the practical and moral difficulties of racial profiling, the ethical dilemmas of an emergency response to a bioterrorist attack, and the role of the government in promoting national service. This balanced compilation of essays highlights where government will need to expand its authority in the fight against terrorism, where it risks overreaching, and how this new era might strengthen American society. Introduction : Rights And Responsibilities, Post 9/11 -- Pt. 1. The Basics -- 1. A Clear And Present Danger / Attorney General John D. Ashcroft -- 2. A Vision For Uniting And Strengthening America / Senator Patrick Leahy -- 3. We Can Strike A Balance On Civil Liberties / Laurence H. Tribe -- 4. Antiterrorism Tools : A Summary Of The Usa Patriot Act And The Order On Military Tribunals -- 5. The Truth About Our Liberties / Richard A. Posner -- Pt. 2. The Specifics -- [pt. 2a]. Immigration -- 6. A Privilege Or A Right? / Mark Krikorian -- 7. Let's Fight Terrorism, Not The Constitution / David Cole -- 8. Confusing Freedom With License : Licenses Terrorism, Not Freedom / Douglas W. Kmiec -- [pt. 2b]. Racial Profiling -- 9. Discrimination We're Afraid To Be Against / Michael Kinsley -- 10. A (potentially) Useful Tool / John Derbyshire -- [pt. 2c]. Freedom Of The Press Versus National Security -- 11. Military Secrets And The First Amendment / C. Robert Zelnick -- 12. Patriots And Professionals : Journalists As Responsible Citizens / Steven V. Roberts -- [pt. 2d]. Public Health -- 13. Public Health In The Age Of Bioterrorism : A Dialogue -- [pt. 2e]. A Just War? -- 14. What We're Fighting For : A Letter From America -- 15. This Is Not Our War : A Letter From United States Citizens To Friends In Europe -- [pt. 2f]. National Service -- 16. Putting Patriotism Into Practice / Senator John Mccain -- 17. A New Draft For A New Time / Paul Glastris -- 18. Citizenship And Sacrifice / Michael Lind -- Pt. 3. American Society After September 11 -- 19. A Stronger Nation / Alan Wolfe -- 20. The New Public Spirit / Bruce J. Schulman -- 21. Government To The Rescue / Albert R. Hunt -- Index -- About The Contributors. Edited By Amitai Etzioni And Jason H. Marsh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.