I think we are living through possibly the darkest period of American history.  I mean, this is worse than the McCarthy era.  Watergate pales by comparison.  Even Lincoln exercised questionable powers if for no other reason to save the Union, and I think we can all agree it was the right thing to do. 

I mean, with what we are doing to ourselves, the terrorists have won.  If they want us to live in fear (as they do) and have no rights (as they don't either), then hell, they've won.  Now we are equals. 

We are left with only an illusion of the freedom we thought we had but a few years ago.