The colors blue and red were evident last night to the 800-strong crowd at the Eisenhower Auditorium, not just in the words of prominent political figures Nadine Strossen and Pat Buchanan, but also in their coordinating outfits.

Strossen, currently the first female president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), was clad in a long, indigo dress and criticized the United States government for violating civil liberties after Sept. 11.

"The same principles that promote security, agree with civil liberties, like the fourth amendment," Strossen said. "We need to channel government resources toward people who actually pose a threat."

Buchanan, a political analyst and commentator, sported a charcoal suit and red tie. Buchanan argued that, though he is a critic of President Bush's policies since Sept. 11, there has not been another act of terrorism in the past five years since that tragedy.

"The President is following the constitution and law," Buchanan said. "I know these men, I've worked with them, and they are honorable, aggressive men."

The two figures proceeded to debate the loss, or changes, in civil liberties in the post-Sept. 11 world.

Strossen cited the National Security Agency's domestic spy program as a wasteful use of government resources and a violation of American civil liberties. Strossen said this program angered FBI agents because they were wasting time tracking down innocent Americans.

"Do you know that all of your personal records can be secretly seized [by the government] according to the Security Act?" Strossen asked the audience.

Buchanan compared what the Bush administration has done since Sept. 11 to the actions of American leaders throughout history when they feared enemies during wartime.

"In these wars the USA prevailed in all victories," Buchanan said. "What war has the ACLU helped to win, other than to get Santa Claus out of Macy's windows?"

Strossen rebuked Buchanan's argument about history by saying that previous wars constitute an unbroken account of the executive branch overreaching itself.

"These have been colossal violations of human rights," Strossen said. "They didn't do anything for security."

Strossen emphasized that American citizens must maintain eternal vigilance in the post-Sept. 11 world.

"Even those leaders with the best motives are prone to pressure to unnecessarily sacrifice human freedom to intentionally promote security," Strossen said. "All abuses came at the price of sacrifice."

Mike Drabowicz (freshman-Division of Undergraduate Studies) questioned the debaters about how the government distinguishes between assumed terrorists and dissenting students in Iraq.

Buchanan said an Iraqi student is a civilian and should not be prosecuted, while Strossen countered that it's difficult during a war to tell the difference between a civil dissenter exercising rights and a terrorist threatening national security. She said this is the reason civil liberties need to be protected.

"Without due process, we cannot tell who is a terrorist and who is a human rights worker," Strossen said.

After his question was debated, Drabowicz agreed with Strossen's answer.

"Buchanan's answer was broad, while Strossen's was pragmatic," Drabowicz said. "This is a situation where innocent people can get caught up, and civil liberties make it so all people assumed to be terrorists are not necessarily going to be tortured."

Other student questions, igniting interest and audience response, addressed how the government attributes people with darker complexions and Muslims with terrorism.

Buchanan responded by saying that many of the terrorists already discovered are from al-Qaeda in the Middle East, and the government must look at new Muslims emigrating from the Middle East in suspicion of terrorism.

Strossen heartily disagreed.

"How is demographic profiling an effective way of deterring terrorists?" Strossen said. "It is dangerous to national security because terrorists realize we are doing that so they recruit people who don't fit that demographic."

Strossen said the purpose of her arguments was to empower students to understand that, though the violation of civil liberties has occurred, they are the ones who can restore civil liberties in their own communities.

"Especially students have the opportunity to decide the nation's direction," Strossen said.

Buchanan ended by reinforcing that the leaders running the United States are fallible and flawed, but they are not the enemies of the people.

"The danger of any war is that the longer it goes, the greater freedoms we will sacrifice," Buchanan said. "The US should get rid of alliances to go to war for others, or the world is going to impose that policy on us."