JEFFERSON: Hello, stout fellows!

FRANKLIN AND ADAMS: Brave lad, well met!

JEFFERSON: You gentlemen are just the fellows whom I wished to meet!

FRANKLIN: And why would that be, young Tom?

JEFFERSON: I have been considering an important question, one vital to our young nation, and sage advice from thinkers such as your selves would be of the utmost assistance to me.

ADAMS: And what is this question upon which you ponder?

JEFFERSON: I have been wondering what safeguards we should put in place to protect this new nation of ours, a land dedicated to the preservation of Liberty and Freedom.

ADAMS: I too have been thinking upon that conundrum, Thomas, and I have come to the conclusion that each citizen should be assigned an identification number that will follow him for all the days of this life, allowing the authorities to track him through the myriad activities of which a man’s life consists. It would be best, in fact, if it were impossible to legally find gainful employment without the use of such a number.

FRANKLIN: Excellent suggestion, John my boy! As an addendum to your idea, I would suggest that each citizen be required to carry a small portrait of himself about with him at all times. This portrait could contain certain identifying vital information, such as birth date, and the citizen could be required to produce it upon the command of any constable. In fact, my scientific studies suggest that images of our citizens will, in future, be easily made and reproduced. These images will be called “photographs”.

JEFFERSON: What an astounding idea! Will these “photographs” have any other uses?

FRANKLIN: Why yes, young Tom. The boxes that produce these images will be capable of reproducing an image of any and all activities, quite without the knowledge of the subject. I suggest that these boxes be placed all about our land of freedom to record our citizens’ most intimate activities day and night. We could place these boxes on street corners, in shops and schools, indeed, everywhere where our people may gather.

ADAMS: Mr. Franklin, your dedication to the cause of freedom is astounding! But perhaps we could do more. Perhaps we could open mail and eavesdrop on other forms of communication by our citizenry.

JEFFERSON: Oh, yes! And secret searches! I do so love secret searches! Perhaps some arm of the government could be empowered to enter and search one’s premises without informing one.

FRANKLIN: Perhaps so. In addition, private records, papers, and effects of our citizens could be made available for perusal by federal police agents.

ADAMS: Perhaps it would be best for private carriers of such papers to be required to cooperate in such searches without the knowledge of the affected person. Afterwards, when the citizen objects, Congress could pass a law to bar him from seeking redress in the courts.

JEFFERSON: Do you really think such powers would serve the cause of Liberty?

ADAMS AND FRANKLIN: Whatever do you mean?

JEFFERSON: I mean, are we doing enough? Don’t you think that our national authorities should be able to hold suspects without trial? Perhaps to deny them bond, the ability to communicate with family members, and communicate with legal counsel?

ADAMS: You mean, to suspend the time honored and sacred right of habeas corpus?

JEFFERSON: That is exactly what I mean.

ADAMS: An excellent suggestion. And perhaps we could hold such miscreants in some remote location. Perhaps a desert isle in the vicinity of, say, Cuba.

JEFFERSON: Definitely! Especially if they wear strange head gear.

WASHINGTON: Well hello, freedom loving Americans!

ADAMS, FRANKLIN, AND JEFFERSON: Well met, friend George! We were just discussing how to best preserve the freedom of this wonderful new land.

WASHINGTON: A most laudable undertaking! As a military man and President, I suggest that all wars be left solely up to me, and anyone challenging my orders be accused of treason and hounded from our midst.

ADAMS: Brilliant!

JEFFERSON: Stupendous!

FRANKLIN: Breathtaking!

ADAMS: And I think it would be a good idea to search everyone as they enter or leave our nation. Particularly those traveling on some form of ship.

JEFFERSON: How do we search them?

ADAMS: Each citizen could be assigned a code based on the danger that citizen poses to public order. We would search the bags and person of every citizen…

FRANKLIN: I volunteer to search the wenches!

ADAMS: …but those with a higher danger code, say “red” or “vermillion”, could be questioned, strip searched, and refused permission to board. We could even maintain a secret list. Those whose names are placed upon such a list would not be informed of such action and would also be denied any means of removing their names.

JEFFERSON: In my academic studies I have discovered that the marks on the ends of one’s fingers are unique to each individual. Perhaps that fact could be useful to us in some way in creating a system of identification.

FRANKLIN: But of course! Why I noticed myself in my younger days as a printer’s assistant that when ink is placed on the finger it creates a perfect reproduction of those marks!

ADAMS: It would be a patriot act to require such “fingerprints” to be taken of every individual who crosses our border, and to begin to build a massive system of dossiers on all of our people.

WASHINGTON: I have to say, gentlemen, I am quite impressed! With such a system in place it will not be long until the American people never have to worry about their freedom ever again!