Letters to my sons.

Dear Son,

early this morning about 21 people were arrested under anti-terror legislation regarding a plot to blow up airplanes flying from the UK to the USA. Restrictions are in place regarding hand baggage, the new regulations ban anything being taken on the plane except tickets and a passport.

The idea being floated is that the people arrested were trying to get some sort of liquid bomb on board.

I am having difficulty swallowing this one. When a Brazillian was shot on the tube the police claimed that the man shot was involved in attempting bombings the day before. This turned out to be rubbish. We have had the ricin plot that never was, the raid in Forest Gate and the Red Mercury nuke in a suitcase that turned out to be tosh.

The government is busy pushing the line that those suspected of terrorist offences should be held for upto 90 days and that they should be able to issue control orders – effective house arrest.

The term “better safe than sorry” is doing the rounds at the moment. Some people are ready to accept the loss of basic freedoms in return for security. The sinister threat of an unseen hand is how fascism has traditionally gained supporters – until there are no freedoms left. By then it is too late for people to affect change.

The way to ensure we keep our freedoms is not to give them up. Not a single one, for any reason, ever.