“phantoms of lost liberty” (John Ashcroft)
[I just had to record this for my own records. The “phantoms of lost liberty” quote will no doubt be one of the major things Ashcroft is remember for (along with draping lady justice in a shroud to preserve her modesty from Ashcroft’s vile pillaging of our civil liberties). -Thomas]
See CNN article with full quote: Ashcroft: Critics of new terror measures undermine effort
“To those who pit Americans against immigrants, citizens against non-citizens, to those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve,” Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “They give ammunition to America’s enemies and pause to America’s friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent in the face of evil.
“Our efforts have been crafted carefully to avoid infringing on constitutional rights, while saving American lives.”
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