What Is Freedom?
Our great country just celebrated another birthday. Here in the United States of America, we pride ourselves on being a free country. But what is freedom? Does that mean we can do anything we want? Of course not. For every freedom someone is granted, a freedom is taken away from someone else.
There are some great controversies going on right now over freedoms. One is over the Confederate flag. Many see it as a symbol of hate. Others see it as a southern symbol or as a tradition. Now it is being banned all over the country, amid protests of many. The Civil War is being fought again. Shouldn't the people have been allowed to vote on that decision, instead of allowing it to be decided by politicians looking for votes in the next election?
Why? Over a piece of cloth that you can make mean anything you wish. Yes, it was used toward the end of the war. That offends many.
Not everyone that fought for the Confederacy owned slaves. Not everyone believed in slavery.
Not everyone who fought in the Union believed in abolition of slaves.
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Constitution of the United States was a slave owner. I'm certain that there were at least some that signed it that were slave owners. Should we ban that?
Our first President, George Washington, was a slave owner. He is on our money. Should he be taken off, and his image be banned?
I've also read recently about people wanting stricter laws on what we should or should not be allowed to wear in public. Some styles of clothing have been considered indecent.
What is indecent? You can't turn on the television, radio, or computer without being bombarded with nudity, sexual innuendo, and profanity, and people having sex. It is considered freedom of the press.
Who should be able to decide what is decent and what isn't? The government? Isn't that also an infringement on people's freedom to choose?
Maybe we should allow the government to choose our wardrobe for us. Would you men object to a mandatory wearing of a certain hat? How about a turbon? Maybe everyone should have to wear the same cut or color of clothing?
Maybe you women would like to go back to wearing long dresses and keeping your hair covered? We could be like many countries and be forced to wear a veil.
Gun control is always a big issue in the news. Would gun control stop murders? There are many ways to kill a person. Should knives be banned to prevent stabbings? Baseball bats and tire irons to prevent beatings? Rope to prevent stranglings? How about anything that can be used to make explosives? Wouldn't that take away people's freedoms?
You would have to be blind and deaf to miss all of the controversy over gay rights and gay marriage. Is a person born gay, is being gay a choice, or does it even matter? Once again, who has the right to make that decision? Is it right or wrong?
Is it okay for same sex couples to be married? Does it hurt anyone? Does it infringe upon the rights of others? Who should be able to make that decision? The government just passed the laws needed to make gay marriage legal in all states.
Is it okay to refuse to marry or perform services for a gay couple? After all, the government has declared their right to marry. Isn't that taking away their freedoms?
Is it okay to force someone to perform those services, if it goes against their religious beliefs? Isn't that violating their freedom of religion?
All over America, the government is removing Bibles, the Ten Commandments, and all other Judieo-Christian symbols.
Schools no longer have Easter or Christmas programs, parties, and vacations. Even traditional greetings, decorations, stories, and songs are banned. They are now designated as Spring and Winter activities. This is to protect the rights of other religions and atheists. They are not even allowed to offer prayer in school. Does it not also take away the rights of Christians and other people who enjoy the traditions? What about their rights?
It can cost a Christian their job to speak about their religion. Doesn't that violate their freedom of speech?
Our Constitution says we are afforded freedom OF religion, not FROM religion! When our forefathers wrote about the division of church and state, they meant the government could not tell you which church you must attend. It didn't mean that the government was totally religion free.
Everything about the United States was based on the Bible. Our money says, "In God We Trust." Of course, people want to eliminate that.
The Pledge of Allegiance calls us "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all." People want to dispose of that, too.
Basically, it all boils down to this; Americans all want freedoms that benefit them, even at the expense of everyone else. What most people fail to recognize, is that by writing and passing laws that infringe upon the rights of others, and puts more and more in control of the government, puts everyone's freedom in jeopardy.
I vote, however, our elected officials usually say one thing and do something else entirely. I don't trust them. I don't want them to make all my decisions for me. Do you? Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
There are some great controversies going on right now over freedoms. One is over the Confederate flag. Many see it as a symbol of hate. Others see it as a southern symbol or as a tradition. Now it is being banned all over the country, amid protests of many. The Civil War is being fought again. Shouldn't the people have been allowed to vote on that decision, instead of allowing it to be decided by politicians looking for votes in the next election?
Why? Over a piece of cloth that you can make mean anything you wish. Yes, it was used toward the end of the war. That offends many.
Not everyone that fought for the Confederacy owned slaves. Not everyone believed in slavery.
Not everyone who fought in the Union believed in abolition of slaves.
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Constitution of the United States was a slave owner. I'm certain that there were at least some that signed it that were slave owners. Should we ban that?
Our first President, George Washington, was a slave owner. He is on our money. Should he be taken off, and his image be banned?
I've also read recently about people wanting stricter laws on what we should or should not be allowed to wear in public. Some styles of clothing have been considered indecent.
What is indecent? You can't turn on the television, radio, or computer without being bombarded with nudity, sexual innuendo, and profanity, and people having sex. It is considered freedom of the press.
Who should be able to decide what is decent and what isn't? The government? Isn't that also an infringement on people's freedom to choose?
Maybe we should allow the government to choose our wardrobe for us. Would you men object to a mandatory wearing of a certain hat? How about a turbon? Maybe everyone should have to wear the same cut or color of clothing?
Maybe you women would like to go back to wearing long dresses and keeping your hair covered? We could be like many countries and be forced to wear a veil.
Gun control is always a big issue in the news. Would gun control stop murders? There are many ways to kill a person. Should knives be banned to prevent stabbings? Baseball bats and tire irons to prevent beatings? Rope to prevent stranglings? How about anything that can be used to make explosives? Wouldn't that take away people's freedoms?
You would have to be blind and deaf to miss all of the controversy over gay rights and gay marriage. Is a person born gay, is being gay a choice, or does it even matter? Once again, who has the right to make that decision? Is it right or wrong?
Is it okay for same sex couples to be married? Does it hurt anyone? Does it infringe upon the rights of others? Who should be able to make that decision? The government just passed the laws needed to make gay marriage legal in all states.
Is it okay to refuse to marry or perform services for a gay couple? After all, the government has declared their right to marry. Isn't that taking away their freedoms?
Is it okay to force someone to perform those services, if it goes against their religious beliefs? Isn't that violating their freedom of religion?
All over America, the government is removing Bibles, the Ten Commandments, and all other Judieo-Christian symbols.
Schools no longer have Easter or Christmas programs, parties, and vacations. Even traditional greetings, decorations, stories, and songs are banned. They are now designated as Spring and Winter activities. This is to protect the rights of other religions and atheists. They are not even allowed to offer prayer in school. Does it not also take away the rights of Christians and other people who enjoy the traditions? What about their rights?
It can cost a Christian their job to speak about their religion. Doesn't that violate their freedom of speech?
Our Constitution says we are afforded freedom OF religion, not FROM religion! When our forefathers wrote about the division of church and state, they meant the government could not tell you which church you must attend. It didn't mean that the government was totally religion free.
Everything about the United States was based on the Bible. Our money says, "In God We Trust." Of course, people want to eliminate that.
The Pledge of Allegiance calls us "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all." People want to dispose of that, too.
Basically, it all boils down to this; Americans all want freedoms that benefit them, even at the expense of everyone else. What most people fail to recognize, is that by writing and passing laws that infringe upon the rights of others, and puts more and more in control of the government, puts everyone's freedom in jeopardy.
I vote, however, our elected officials usually say one thing and do something else entirely. I don't trust them. I don't want them to make all my decisions for me. Do you? Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
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