Such sentiments always remind me of the Ben Franklin quote, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." (The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. Leonard W. Labaree, vol. 6, p. 242 (1963).
Certainly our times have changed and we face dangers our founding fathers couldn't imagine, but how far do we go before the very beliefs we are founded on, celebrate, and use as cause to promote Democracy are eroded to the point that we're not much different from the ideals we stand against and the enemies we fear?