[free-sklyarov] a call to continue

[Martin Baker]

This is slightly off-topic, but here goes.

For a while I felt that I should stop devoting time and effort to the Free
Sklyarov case and focus on efforts for minimizing the violence of the US
response and for keeping our civil liberties. After some thought, I
realize that that is important as well, but that the best defense of our
civil liberties isn't by a "meta-" defense of protesting *about* our civil
liberties, but actually exercising them directly about real issues.

Thin ice here, but ... I want to point out that I personally do not hold
the idea that we must keep doing what we are doing, just because
"otherwise the terrorists will have won". I think that involves an
incorrect reading of the meanings of and motives behind the attacks. If,
however, we retreat from our current causes, then the "Freedom is Slavery"
crowd will have won.

Peace,
Martin