> As those expansions were used primarily to take away from the citizenry, they subsequently eroded civil liberties. Perhaps I have a different definition of c

> As those expansions were used primarily to take away from the citizenry, they subsequently eroded civil liberties. Perhaps I have a different definition of civil liberties than you. I subscribe to the following definition, as proposed in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_liberties http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_liberties) > Civil liberties are civil rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights. Though the scope of the term differs amongst various countries, some examples of civil liberties include the freedom from slavery and forced labor, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, freedom of conscience, religion, expression, press, assembly and association, speech, the right to privacy, the right to equal treatment and due process and the right to a fair trial, as well as the right to life. Other civil liberties may also include the right to own property, the right to defend oneself, and the right to bodily integrity. What do you consider your civil liberties to be?