As the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack passed us, we are constantly reminded by our president and his regime that the illegal war in Iraq is a crucial element of the war on terror, and that those of us who disagree with this policy are “emboldening the terrorists.”

But, let us look at this accusation carefully, and in the administration’s own language.

Bush himself states that the terrorists “hate our freedom.” He’s right; they do. Osama and friends would enjoy nothing more than the total destruction of “evil” democracy and they have said so. “Democracies” are characterized by such elements as freedom of speech, religion, a free press, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, all without fear of retribution or intimidation.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, these freedoms have been curtailed and discouraged to an extent that has not been seen since the Nixon era. Bush-friendly speech and the “correct” religious beliefs are rewarded. Anti-administration speech and liberal religious beliefs are quickly mocked and in some cases, investigated.

The New York Times has been labeled traitorous simply for printing information that the government is trying to keep from the American people, and anti-war protesters are labeled “unpatriotic” and are frequently arrested.

Which brings me to my point: if personal freedoms are the cornerstones of democracy and the government is weakening democracy by hindering the free exercise of those freedoms, then who is really “emboldening the terrorists?”

Kate Cooper, Livermore