Civil Liberties Take Back Seat to Safety

American civil liberties are as fixed and steady an influence in national life as the stock market--and every bit as elastic.

Like the market, the rights enjoyed by U.S. citizens have grown to an extent that the Founding Fathers probably never imagined. But in times of danger, civil liberties have shrunk, suffering what market analysts might call a correction.

Since Sept. 11, the federal government has approved secret military tribunals for accused terrorists, given law enforcement unprecedented powers to tap phones and read e-mail, and helped foster an atmosphere of self-censorship summed up shortly after the attacks by White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, who warned Americans to "watch what they say."