I’d almost be willing to bet that 999 out of 1,000 people don’t really understand what freedom is. Oh, they claim to love it, but from what I see and hear them say, they damned sure don’t know what it is; otherwise they wouldn’t be saying half the things they do.
Freedom is the right to live your life as you choose; not as someone else thinks you should. Freedom is the right to say things that other people don’t want to hear. Freedom is the right to display images that others find offensive. Freedom is the right to enjoy the fruits of your labors, (your income), without it being taxed and redistributed to those in need without your consent.
The thing about freedom, and I mean absolute freedom here, not the quasi-freedom people enjoy today, is that it also is accompanied by the responsibility to accept the consequences of whatever choices you make; and that scares the hell out of most people.
You can choose to do drugs if you like; but if you get addicted and require a substantial flow of cash to support your ‘habit’ you DO NOT have the right to steal from me to support it, or ask that a law be passed which taxes others to subsidize you because you are too stoned to hold down a job.
You can choose to live a gay or straight life style, but you are not free to tell others that they must accept that your position is correct; for if you do you are limiting their freedom to think and act as they please.
From what I see there seems to be this belief among the politically correct, or Social Justice Warriors, (SJW), that some things are to be considered offensive and taboo, while others are acceptable behavior and nobody has a right to do or say anything in opposition to them.
Look at all the recent times Civil War monuments have been torn down because some group finds them offensive. Yet there are just as many who take offense to the lyrics of some songs, or the fact that some kids wear their pants halfway down the crack of their ass. Yet it is okay to tear down a historical monument, but tell them to stop singing offensive lyrics or displaying their asses on city streets and you are violating their rights.
Does the phrase double-standards mean anything to any of you?
How anyone can claim to enjoy freedom in this country when their government micromanages and regulates almost every aspect of their lives is beyond me. I think the only people in this country who enjoy freedom are politicians; for there seems to be no restrictions on what they can do. But they damned sure impose plenty of restrictions upon us; even if they say it is for our own good.
I’m not a big fan of Daniel Webster but he did say something that I am somewhat in agreement with, “Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.”
The mindset of most people in this country is that it is okay for government to pass laws the restrict freedom if it serves the overall public good. Ever hear the saying that it is better to let 1,000 guilty men go free than to convict one innocent man? There will always be crime; that is an unfortunate aspect of our weakness and foibles as human beings. Yet it is better that the innocent be protected against unjust accusations and criminal charges than to just cast a wide net and arrest everyone ‘suspected’ of committing a crime.
One of the most idiotic things I’ve heard people say is in reference to our governments spying upon our private conversations and communications to keep us safe from terrorism. Far too many people tell me, “If you don’t have anything to hide then you shouldn’t worry whether they are spying upon you or not.”
Whether I have anything to hide or not is NOT the point! The point is that I have the right to be free of the prying eyes and ears of the NSA or the CIA inside my home and while communicating with others on my phone and other electronic forms of communicating.
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Whatever happened to requiring suspicion of guilt before obtaining a warrant to monitor a person’s private communications? We may as well NOT have a 4th Amendment if people think that anything goes as long as it keeps us safe.
I bet these same people who believe it is okay for our government to spy upon us without restriction would sing a different tune if they were pulled off the street and subjected to a full body cavity search just because they ‘LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.’ But hey, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander; right? If my right to privacy does not shield me from my government inside my home; while I’m traveling, or when law enforcement stops me for a random stop, then your right to privacy does not protect you from intrusive searches upon your person either when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.
People don’t seem to realize the slippery slope they embark upon once they say that it is acceptable to violate our basic rights just to keep us safe. That kind of mindset leads to full blown tyranny; where one cannot leave their home without the proper paperwork issued to them by some government bureaucracy.
Isn’t it bad enough that we cannot hunt, fish, or carry a weapon on our person for our own defense without a license or permit? How can we claim to be free when we cannot forage for food or defend ourselves without first obtaining permission from the government?
I once saw an interview with someone from the extreme political left; who for all their adult life had argued that the rich should be taxed more to provide for the needy. This person was complaining about the excessive taxes they had to pay upon a winning lottery ticket. They simply couldn’t understand why they shouldn’t be allowed to keep the entire amount they had won. Well, welcome to the world of unintended consequences…welcome to the world where your misguided beliefs turn around and bite you in the ass!
Don’t you find it the slightest bit ironic and hypocritical that many of those who believe we shouldn’t be allowed to own guns, and use them in our own defense, are among the first to dial 911 and expect men with guns to come rushing to their rescue?
Do you want to know what freedom is? Freedom is you leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone. That’s freedom; plain and simple. You don’t tell me how I should live my life; spend my money; what to eat; what to wear; what to say, and I’ll return the favor.
But freedom also means that if you make a mistake, or do something foolish, that you accept complete and total responsibility for it – don’t ask me to subsidize you if you make a STUPID choice. That’s the part about freedom that many forget…or conveniently choose to ignore.
Sure, you are free to break into my home and attempt to steal what is mine. But at the same time I am free to defend myself, my family, and my belongings with whatever force I deem the instance merits; up to and including the right to shoot you dead on the spot.
That was widely believed to be fact back in the days when liberty was the topic of discussion in America back in the late 1700’s. Samuel Adams himself wrote, “Among the Natural Rights of the Colonists are these First. a Right to Life; Secondly to Liberty; thirdly to Property; together with the Right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. Those are evident Branches of, rather than deductions from the Duty of Self Preservation, commonly called the first Law of Nature.” (My emphasis)
Years later Thomas Jefferson would write, “Nothing then is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man.” Therefore, if it was the right of the Colonists to defend their lives, their property, and their liberty with whatever force they deemed necessary, then it remains my right to do the same today – and I’ve had about all that I can stand of people trying to restrict my freedom!
I’m tired of people telling me I cannot do or say certain things because others find what I do or say offensive. So what; who cares if you are offended? You can be offended all you want, but you cross the line when you restrict someone’s right to freedom of speech or expression. You can dislike guns all you want, but you cross the line when you tell others that they cannot have, or use them for their own defense.
When you do these things, or vote for politicians who do them in your stead, you are an enemy to the liberty our system of government was supposed to protect.
They say an animal is the most dangerous when it has been backed into a corner. Well human beings are animals of a sort as well; and those of us who truly understand what it means to be free are being slowly backed into a corner where we will be forced to either submit to the absolute loss of all our freedoms, or fight to retain what little freedom we have left.
The thing all these left leaning Social Justice Warriors fail to realize is that justice is supposed to be blind; meaning it applies to all. Well their position is that justice can, and should come at the cost of the loss of freedom to those who hold differing opinions than they do. Sorry to break the news to you, but that isn’t justice, it’s tyranny; and there are still enough of us in this country who recognize that and are willing to make your lives a living hell if you push us much further.
You see, tolerance works both ways; you expect us to tolerate your views then you had better start tolerating ours. That is of course unless you want to pick a fight with us; and remember; we’re the ones with all the guns.
Keep that in mind…
~ The Author ~
Neal Ross, Student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Send all comments to: bonsai@syix.com.
If you liked Neal’s latest column, maybe you’ll like his latest booklet: The Civil War: (The Truth You Have Not Been Told). Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history.