Freedom or security?

There's a paraphrased variant of that I have seen which is

"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both."

And basically, that's completely what I believe in. Obviously we need some kind of security - everyone has a right to privacy. But everyone also has the right to free speech and thought, whether it incites religious or racial hatred or anything like this. Freedom of speech is a basic human right, one which should never be violated under any circumstances. Britain are already doing it, and I hate it - people are arrested all the time for the crime of Inciting Religious Hatred or Inciting Racial Hatred. No-one should be censored. No-one should be punished for speaking their mind.

Of course, it's a balance. It's a very careful balance which divides fascism from anarchy. There are some basic things which no-one should ever be allowed to do - murder, rape, etc. But there are some basic freedoms which everyone should always have - freedom of speech, freedom of thought. The whole situation, imo, can be summed up in one phrase, which comes from the Wiccan Rede, a poem of great importance in the neopagan religion of wicca.

An it harm none, do what thou wilt.

This is hardly on topic.

You're not keeping someone secure by making sure that you don't offend them.

I used three people as an example to represent society. If a freedom can help many people, but take away the security of a few people, is that a good thing or bad?