FREEDOM
What is Freedom?
What happened to the “Freedom” that FOUNDING FATHERS in this country sacrificed so much for? Do you think that they would have stood for one hot minute in tolerance with the current way things are?
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and,
under a just God, cannot long retain it.” — Abraham Lincoln
Is FREEDOM an absolute right?
We are born to be FREE. Freedom is defined from different aspects, according to different cultures, the perceived definition of freedom varies from one culture to another. Some societies define freedom as a natural right, that all human beings are born with. Everyone has an internal desire to be free and independent from others rules. Freedom is the right to do what one wants, live where one wants, eat what one wants, learn what one wants, and chooses the religion in which one believes, without ignoring or harming other rights. These inalienable freedoms are under attack right here in the land of the free and around the world.
“Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression;
in order that every man present his views without penalty
there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population.” – Albert Einstein
How can we live free?
From my point of view, we can live free by respecting others’ right to live free as well. A free society involves everyone doing their part to respect these rights, and to protect them for all. We can not ignore the rights of people with whom we live in the community with, regardless of our differences in philosophy. We cannot simply do what we want and ignore others, expecting them to guard our freedom as we violate theirs. We must take other people’s rights into consideration, in all we do.
The core belief in freedom is to allow for people to explore themselves and the community in a unrestricted manor, all the while being respectful of others rights, and “doing no harm”. A healthy strong community requires that all respect one another. If someone is deprived from this innate right, they will definitely feel as if they are not a contributing part of the community and the larger society as a whole.
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin
Our Freedoms and rights in the United States are under attack.
No longer are we enjoying the Freedom that our Founding Fathers guaranteed in the constitution, and the bill of rights. Our founding fathers pledged their life, liberty, fortunes, and sacred honor to obtain Freedom so that people can:
- Think freely without the fear of repercussions from government and others for their thoughts.
- Go wherever they want (travel – assembly) without government demanding license and questioning where and with whom they are traveling. The right to be associates with whomever they choose, without the intrusion of others.
- Enjoy free Speech and Expression and thus state their opinion without fear of government and those who oppose that opinion. Freedom of speech is vital and one of the most important Freedoms, in order to preserve our other Freedoms and Rights. In some countries where Freedom of Speech is not guaranteed by the laws, the creativity of mind is killed and buried. Society is the loser from this lack of creativity.
- Have Religious Freedom i.e. The right to believe or not to believe what you choose to.
Ways our Freedoms are under attack:
- The Homeless in our country are routinely denied “equal protection under the law”, denied the freedom to be homeless, and are prosecuted simply for the act of being homeless. When the corrupt system through the greed of the wealthy and the corporations is actively taking families homes via foreclosure and then charging those same people with “urban camping” for being homeless… “Something is seriously wrong”. Wasting all this money persecuting those that are homeless, whether they are there because they choose to or because they are struggling in this world, is ineffective. We instead should be focusing as a community on how we can lend a hand to these people and help them on a healthy path. Persecuting a class of people for their economic status goes directly against the principles that the founding fathers so cherished, fought and died for. Strong communities include even the Homeless! You can help by advocating and letting the local government know that you are not in agreement with them denying these people their freedom to exist.
First they came for the homeless… - In our society today, the system routinely labels people mentally ill, yet fails to provide resources and community support to those needing it most. Instead of labeling those that are not understood, or choose to think in broader horizons than societies norms, why not work to understand and help them succeed? Our system now has a philosophy of drugging and criminalizing those who show signs of struggling with various issues. When traumatic events cause a person to fall out of the ability to cope with reality, (PTSD) why do we persecute them? When the drugs that are forced on these people often lead to disastrous side effects, only to the benefit of the big pharmaceutical companies. Why are we treating depressed people with drugs that one of the main side effects are suicide? Why have those involved in all of the mass shooting events been on prescription drugs? Why not work to open our comfort zones to those in need and show them that we care? Instead of treating them like they are outsiders in our communities? Strong Communities are inclusive and supportive of all their members – including those we do not understand or misunderstand.
You can take a stand for the freedom of those who suffer from mental illness and let the powers that be know that you care about this group of people and their right / freedom to exist. - The Veterans of our country are treated with great disdain, and marginalized in our communities under the current corrupt system. Many of these men and woman have served our country and are left with untold horrors of their service. Whether or not we agree with our leaders zest for war, we owe it to these people to treat them with dignity and respect they earned for their service and putting their lives on the line for what they believed. Many have severe health issues that our Government has fallen down on providing the services they desperately need. As well as many are homeless and destitute as a result of the ghosts that follow them from the horrors of war.
Instead of looking down on these people when you see them sitting on the sidewalk, many would love to just talk and for you to lend an ear. The skills and discipline that these men and woman learned in the military make them valuable members of a strong community, all they need is a little understanding and someone that cares. Will that someone be you? - The ultimate denial of freedom exists within the for profit criminal justice system in the United States. When a society is focused more on punishment than on actual justice and more on institutionalization of entire segments of society for profit something is wrong. When the Criminal Justice system is nothing but a pay to play game where in if you have the money you can get the results you want, and innocent people are continually persecuted for their political and religious views, and sent to for profit prisons, thereby denying them their right to freedom. When the system is built on the principal that 80+% of people charged will plea bargain because they know that they don’t have the financial resources to prove their innocence – something is wrong. When the public defenders office uses threats of a guaranteed conviction if the defendant exercises their rights – something is wrong. When District Attorneys, Judges, and Public Defenders all act in unison to deny those accused of a crime their rights – something is wrong. Then sending those same people to the very programs that they privately own, control, or on the board of directors, – something is wrong. When they bogusly convict the masses of nonsense, then use that to take away their constitutional right to bear arms and vote(other freedoms they are constitutional guaranteed) – something is wrong. We need to re-evaluate and prosecute those who are using the justice system for their own personal agenda, and personal financial gain. Those who serve time while innocent, or costing tax payers millions for non-violent offenses need to be freed. Strong communities are inclusive – Not using the courts to persecute those with different views and beliefs. The constitutionally guaranteed “Liberty and Justice for all” no longer exists under this system.
We must have Liberty and Justice for all in order to have strong communities and preserve our freedoms. - Our Family Court system has been corrupted beyond belief. It is now used to divide and conquer families, for the system to take children and place them in the system. This part of our court system has been set up under the administrative branch of the courts, in order to avoid having to honor the constitutional and civil rights of those involved in it. When the founding fathers created our system of justice, this was never their intent. Children and their families have rights and a voice that needs to be honored and respected as well. When there is a financial incentive for the courts to take the children and place them in foster care/ CPS (child protective services)/ DHS (department of human services)/ adopt them out, you know Something is Wrong. This system needs to be revamped and all financial incentives removed, and all persons rights and voices respected. Children need both parents involved in their lives for Strong Communities and for them to be and grow healthy.