As a newspaper writer, my columns always make a stir. I believe in freedom and as Jack Nicholson said in Easy Rider-- "They'll talk to ya and talk to ya and talk to ya about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em." Here is my piece for this week... “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” - Abraham Lincoln “ The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.” - Benjamin Franklin “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.” - Noam Chomsky One of the toughest lessons of my life was the excruciating process of learning what true freedom was all about. True freedom is uncensored, unbridled and unafraid. It lingers inside every man, woman and child and longs to break loose from the chains that bind. Whether these chains be of tradition, religion or ignorance, the longing to be free is an essential part of what it means to be a human being and to deny that right to another is denying their right to be human. Two of the greatest oppressors of freedom in history have been the abuses of the State and religion. Two of the cruelest violators of humanity have been the abuses of the State and religion. From religions persecuting each other and non-believers to non-religious statists in the form of Soviet Communism and Fascism, the violation of human rights has been renamed, reworded, and reorganized throughout history, but it still remains a violation of human rights. The greatest unifying agent against a free society is fear. The fear that without extended law and social order derived through traditional concepts or moral authorities there would be chaos and anarchy. This same weapon (fear) only works through the ignorance of the masses. This collective fear denies individualism and becomes pressure to conform to the “best interest of the majority”. This is dangerous because the majority isn’t always right. At one time the majority of people believed the earth was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. At one time the majority of Americans believed that blacks and other minorities were not true human beings. Only through education and experimentation can we discover natural truths and become civilized. The only way to accomplish this is through freedom, both socially and economically--something the government doesn’t want you to have: “We could give it all back to you and hope you spend it right... But ... if you don't spend it right, here's what's going to happen.” - Bill Clinton (on tax cuts) “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” - George W. Bush Trading freedom for the illusion of security is tantamount to the success of tyranny, and fear tactics only secure the truth that it already exists. “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” - Einstein
very well said...the fear generated by the government in the posy 9/11 era has been astoundingly effective in getting people to relinquish their freedoms willingly, and even happily in many cases...truly frightening times we are seeing "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause." Star Wars, Episode III
wow. do you get accosted in the grocery/ laundromat/gas station for your opinions? I did in Strasburg, Colo. So I'm not a Republican sue me..oh that's right you can't. If I PMed a snail mail, would you send me a copy of the paper (any edition?) I'd send the HR Herald to you in return.
