I'm thankful that the dictionary is not the source of what freedom means in America.
We have to fight many wars in order to retain our freedom, whether it be a war on terrorism, a war on drugs, or a war on illiteracy. As in all war, mistakes are made. Folks in my church know the missions pilot who was shot down as a suspected drug transport plane. Although a tragedy, it does not mean that we should just roll over and allow the tide of drugs to enter the country unfettered. This decidedly Libertarian viewpoint would allow each individual American to make his own decision on whether or not to purchase the drugs available in his own town. This is not freedom, it is stupidity. Only a little imagination is necessary to estimate the negative impact on our society.
Each one of us is, in reality, a soldier in this cultural and social war. At stake is not only our airline security, but the very structure and fabric of our society. Anarchy and socialism are the norm in this modern world, and many would infect our country with the drive toward hedonism and worship of the self.
Our goal should be do what we need to do to keep our country from becoming a European style toilet, where Homas and IRA bombs kill civilians with regularity and by intention, not by accident.
This means we must identfy and track the "bad actors", and stop them before they kill more of us. Will we have the guts to endure some distastefulness in order to retain the society we cherish? Or, will we reject all means to accomplish our goals because they make us too uncomfortable?
How much do we value what we have, and what are we willing to do to keep it?
That's the issue. It isn't the question of showing ID to get on a plane.