Jade Cleggett, Eumemmerring College

We have more to fear from the State than from Terrorists

With the rapidly expanding technological advances of the modern era, life should be both fulfilling and enjoyable, however with great progress comes new evils. Terrorism has become perhaps the most definitively horrifying aspect of life in today's society. With terrorism instigating fear and animosity within people of every culture and ethnicity, the Government is expected to introduce methods to combat the threats to safety. However, with the proposition of the implementation of national identity cards and new antiterrorism laws it is becoming apparent that we may have more to fear from an increasingly anti-democratic State, than from terrorists themselves.

The September 11 tragedy sparked the onset of worldwide attention to terrorism. While it had been known to exist all along, the vast media coverage and graphic detail awarded to this event ensured terrorist activity was now seen as an imminent threat to everyday citizens. Lives entered a state of turmoil and anyone of Muslim or Arabic descent was suddenly viewed with suspicion. Such unjustified assumptions meant that the already present religious tensions were only heightened to a level that spawned new bouts of violence. Thus the chaos created by terrorist activities became blatantly real.

The following years saw the continuation of terrorist actions including the Bali bombings, numerous attacks in the Middle East, the London train calamity and many more. Each horrific attack resulted in innocent lives being savagely destroyed, with countless families suffering tremendous grief. The Australian Government became subject to new and unrelenting pressures from its people to take action against the malevolent terrorist organisations. With the increased livelihood of an attack on Australia looming ominously in our future the State felt it a necessity to introduce new anti-terrorism laws. However well-intentioned these laws may appear ostensibly, when examined closer they can only be seen as an attempt to oppress civil liberties.

For years we, the Australian public have lived with the content knowledge that we have certain rights that the State serves to protect. We have carried out our lives in blissful ignorance of the fact that should the State choose to disregard our liberties in favour of more `fundamental' causes, we would find it almost impossible to prevent. The implementation of new anti-terrorism laws was perhaps the first example of the State posing a threat to civil liberties in that they would allow authority figures powers that have an immense potential to be abused.

While most police members are upstanding, noble members of society who operate with the highest morals, certain individuals are present in every profession who have the propensity to act with discrimination. Unfortunately the result of such individuals gaining a newly heightened level of power would be that people may become suspected of involvement in terrorist actions, merely due to the religion or ethnical background an authority figure believes them, to be of. Under the new laws suspects may be placed in `preventative detention' for up to 14 days, which would be incredibly invasive and dehumanizing if a person was placed in such conditions unjustifiably.

Along with new anti-terrorism legislation, the State has proposed introducing new national identity cards. With various forms of identification of individuals already in existence such as Medicare cards and licenses, a national identity card seems plausible. However, with identity fraud becoming a major area of criminal activity in recent years, such a card may only prove to further this growing industry. Doubts also arise as to the necessity of such a form of identification, because simply knowing the basic details of a person such as their appearance or religion would not aid in determining whether or not they were a terrorist. Adding further concern for the publics’ safety and privacy is that with the improving technology of computers, information found on national identity cards may be obtainable to individuals seeking to cause harm. Only one solution to the induction of these laws will redeem the State, that being the corresponding induction of effective safeguards against abuse of powers.

In recent years the threat of terrorism has risen considerably, marking the modern age as one in which we are forced to be suspicious or in the very least cautious of everyone we encounter. Knowing that death by bombing or some other calculated murder may await any individual every time they leave the boundaries of their home is the fear that continues to develop with each new tale of terrorism. With such lingering concern for personal security ever-present, we could only ask for the support of the State and those we elected to be in power to offer us the relief we need. Unfortunately this is not reality. With its continuously increasing restriction of the rights of civilians, the State is ensuring the general publics' sense of helplessness is magnified to such an extent that we no longer feel the sense of freedom that was once our Country's' greatest boast.