"What's going on is the systematic governmental destruction of the presumption of liberty in the name of public safety."

How Modern Government Is Destroying the Presumption of Liberty Our Founders Cherished

Much of the political class of the founding generation, unlike our own, viewed the Constitution as restraining, not unleashing, the government.

Andrew Napolitano | October 30, 2014

"What's going on is the systematic governmental destruction of the presumption of liberty in the name of public safety. Politicians who want to appear bold and strong often ride a popular wave and ignore the rights of their targets. And those responsible for public safety—all of whom have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution—have forgotten that chief among their duties is the safekeeping of our freedoms.

Would it be easier for the government to keep us safe from money laundering and Ebola if it could disregard the Constitution and trample personal freedoms? Yes, it would. But who would want to live in such a society? If the government can reverse the presumption of liberty over appearances, what is the value of constitutional guarantees? Whose freedom in America is safe today?"