“There is no 'slippery slope' toward loss of liberty, only a long staircase where each step down must first be tolerated by the American people and their leaders.”

There are slippery slopes and staircases toward loss of liberty. There are first, tolerated steps. Those steps get more narrow and steeper until a single plane slide is all that is left. The U.S., oblivious to history's declines, is now on the slide. Two week stars for direction recognition.

Good point Mike, though I think we went back to steps as of 2006.11.07... it is reversable...

Anonymous, I hope for peace, prosperity and liberty's sake your right.

Steps vary in rise and run. Every new law is another step down and away from freedom, which are now so short and high we no longer have a slope but a cliff. The Patriot Act is one extremely tall, short step, which our government is willing to push every citizen down.

Indeed -- one 'emergency' Act becomes the door for another and another. Congressmen readily admit they don't even read the bills they vote on, and little by little, unconstitutional legislation becomes de facto law.