Too many politicians are willing to trade the liberties of Americans to keep the nation secure, says Alan Keyes, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and three-time GOP presidential candidate.
"The idea that has become current over the last several years in the mouths of many people, Republicans, Democrats … [is] we must sacrifice our liberty in order that we shall have security," Keyes said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
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"That's … an example of the deep incompetence of this generation. Do they think that American leaders didn't face that choice in the past?
"Do they think that we got here as a free country because they were willing to take the easy way out and destroy the liberties of the American people on the pretense that they were keeping them safe?"
Over the past year, there has been vigorous debate over the National Security Agency's bulk collection of data, including records of phone calls, in a bid to foil terrorist plots. And there is varying opinion on whether some liberties must be sacrificed to keep the nation safer.
Keyes said the U.S. Constitution guarantees liberty for all Americans and elected officials are sworn to uphold that guarantee.
"[They are] not to stand by and say 'whoops, for the sake of security, we've got to let it go,'" Keyes told Steve Malzberg.
Keyes was made Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council by President Ronald Regan in 1983. He is the founder of
LoyalToLiberty.com.
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