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CNN Live Today
What Will Americans Accept?
Aired May 28, 2003 - 10:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Many people believe that civil liberties have become a casualty in war on terror. And many are wondering, how much Americans will give up in the name of national security?
Our senior political analyst William Schneider, otherwise known as Bill, join us now from Washington with more on that.
Bill, good morning.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: You know in the first plush of concern after the 9/11 attacks, the question was asked a few months later, would you be willing to sacrifice some of your basic civil liberties in order to combat or prevent additional acts of terrorism? Well, in January of 2002, the Gallup poll found Americans were actually split. About half, as you can see over on right, 47 percent said, yes, they would support the government taking all steps necessary to prevent additional acts of terrorism, even if it means your own basic liberties would be violated, and about the same number, 49 percent, said, no, they wouldn't make that sacrifice.
But in the couple of years since then, about a year and a half since then...
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
KAGAN: Let's bring bill back in. Apologies for the interruption. Let's get back to the graphic, back once again to the topic of how many civil liberties and how much are Americans willing to give up in order to feel safer in the war on terrorism?
SCHNEIDER: And what we were showing was that a few months after the September 11, 2001 attacks, in January 2002, about half of Americans said, yes, they'd be willing to sacrifice civil liberties if it would prevent further terrorist attacks.
But as time has gone on, now, we find that public opinion has shifted, and month by month, we've seen shifting, and now we see that by almost 2-1, 64 to 33 percent, Americans say, no, they will not be willing to sacrifice or have their civil liberties violated in order to take steps to prevent additional acts of terrorism.
So Americans, I think, increasingly, have drawn the line as they have come to think about it and as the first flush of concern has diminished.
KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you. And once again, we apologize for the interruption. Thanks for going with flow, as we like to say around here.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 28, 2003 - 10:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Many people believe that civil liberties have become a casualty in war on terror. And many are wondering, how much Americans will give up in the name of national security?
Our senior political analyst William Schneider, otherwise known as Bill, join us now from Washington with more on that.
Bill, good morning.
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: You know in the first plush of concern after the 9/11 attacks, the question was asked a few months later, would you be willing to sacrifice some of your basic civil liberties in order to combat or prevent additional acts of terrorism? Well, in January of 2002, the Gallup poll found Americans were actually split. About half, as you can see over on right, 47 percent said, yes, they would support the government taking all steps necessary to prevent additional acts of terrorism, even if it means your own basic liberties would be violated, and about the same number, 49 percent, said, no, they wouldn't make that sacrifice.
But in the couple of years since then, about a year and a half since then...
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
KAGAN: Let's bring bill back in. Apologies for the interruption. Let's get back to the graphic, back once again to the topic of how many civil liberties and how much are Americans willing to give up in order to feel safer in the war on terrorism?
SCHNEIDER: And what we were showing was that a few months after the September 11, 2001 attacks, in January 2002, about half of Americans said, yes, they'd be willing to sacrifice civil liberties if it would prevent further terrorist attacks.
But as time has gone on, now, we find that public opinion has shifted, and month by month, we've seen shifting, and now we see that by almost 2-1, 64 to 33 percent, Americans say, no, they will not be willing to sacrifice or have their civil liberties violated in order to take steps to prevent additional acts of terrorism.
So Americans, I think, increasingly, have drawn the line as they have come to think about it and as the first flush of concern has diminished.
KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you. And once again, we apologize for the interruption. Thanks for going with flow, as we like to say around here.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
