54 years and some months and days ago, a brave man took a stand.

No, this is not an anniversary date. But back in March of 1954, a man who happened to make his living as a journalist voiced an editorial, and risked his career. He said, of a popular senator:

His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the
internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with
disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that
conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in
fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if
we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not
descended from fearful men. [...] We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the
defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot
defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. The actions of the junior Senator
from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given
considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He
didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it -- and rather
successfully.

Don't forget these things. They are yet true. Oh, swap some pronouns here and there. Maybe swap the threat of "Communism" with the newer threat of "terrorism."

Don't you forget: declaring something "good," "bad," "patriotic," or "hating our freedom" doesn't actually make it so.