"A Decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind...." May 1, 2007

by Will

While we should never bow slavishly to foreign opinion, it is wise for us to display what the Declaration of Independence calls ?a decent respect to the opinions of mankind....?

Thus we should be concerned by the increasingly negative view of the US held by citizens of countries that are our closest allies.

A poll of international travelers conducted by the Discover America Partnership found that 70 percent of respondents feared US officials more than terrorists or criminals. Sixty-six percent expressed concern that they could be detained at a US airport for some trivial mistake. More than half described customs and homeland security officials as rude.

These findings do not just reflect scare stories in the media, but word-of-mouth accounts of tourists from countries like England, Australia, and New Zealand being harassed, detained, and even strip-searched for no good reason. .

It is sometimes a blessing to see ourselves as others do. People abroad who share our political heritage, and wish us well, see our nation becoming a police state.

Let us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

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