Thoughts on a pre-9/11 world by a post 9/11 child.

     Personally, I am a law-abiding citizen and I have no problem with my actions being monitored, I'm just going to keep living my life the way I was before. Movie stars always talk about not letting the fame get to them, and I think it is similar with security. When you're life is scrutinized you can't let it get to you.
     As a child too young to remember the pre-9/11 world with any depth, invasion of privacy is normal for me as is bringing your ID everywhere with you. When reading essays about the USA PATRIOT Act, it illuminates to me that there was a time before censorship, before massive airport security, before "live" television was put on a 9 second delay.
     One of the pieces we read references being uncomfortable writing while someone is watching. To that, my natural reaction is that a person should be more assertive, be confident that one is in the right, and practice civil disobedience when you disagree with society. If you cannot do something when everyone is watching, then you cannot do it at all in this increasingly public and clashing society. Today's liberty is a public one. Thoughts, without action and debate, thoughts that stay chained in the mind are worthless.
     These essays put into perspective the fact that some people have privacy, and it being written into the constitution makes it a sore subject.