The United States is supposed to be a country of freedom. Everything about the constitution and our amendments has been created so that we can live in freedom. Yet, I find myself observing these freedoms being lost ever so slowly. In fact, I think stolen is a better word than lost. Our government has been stealing our freedom for years and using that freedom to increase its power. I find it baffling that the American public has either not been able to see the atrocities the government is committing or doesn’t care to do anything about it.
I don’t believe this is a matter of the Republican party versus the Democratic Party. Both parties are guilty of participating in stealing freedom from the American people. Each party has contributed various laws and acts that have increased the federal government’s power in turn taking freedom from us. The government lies and tells us that this increase of power will protect us or better serve us. With each added law or misuse of executive power the government moves closer to being omnipotent and in full control. Our so-called democracy is quietly transforming into something that resembles our enemies and nightmares where people have no freedom.
There is already a long list of revoked freedoms(mostly partial as of now) whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.
- freedom of speech (there are a list of things that an individual cannot say without being prosecuted, also there are free speech zones)
- freedom of press (the government openly admits to controlling the press at times, the press is supposed to be the voice of the people)
- freedom to assemble and protest (just think about what losing this right means for a second)
- freedom from search and seizure without probable cause (government can enter your home without a warrant at any time)
-right to a lawyer (government can now listen to people’s conversations with lawyers, and the president can exercise his power to bypass trials)
How much further are we going to allow the government to go? As recently as this week our president has infringed upon the people. By declaring the H1N1 virus a national emergency, the president sneakily flexed his ability to FORCE the American people to do something. The death toll from swine flu total is less than the number of deaths from the regular flu for the year by thousands yet our president declares this a national emergency.
Our president promised to revoke the Patriot Act and so far there hasn’t been a peep about it since he took office. Soon, this administration will try to take away other freedoms such as our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This amendment protects ALL of our freedoms and if we lose this we will be lost. How do we protect ourselves from our government?
I think the American public chooses to be ignorant to what is going on. We feel safer when others are responsible, accountable, and in charge. In fact, it is just easier. If we continue in this direction there will come a time when we will no longer have a choice to defer responsibility and instead we will be told what to do. Have we forgotten that WE, the people, are supposed to be in charge of this country? Have we forgotten that the senators, congressmen, and president are supposed to serve us?
Fear causes us to make irrational decisions. These decisions have resulted in allowing the government to become bigger and more powerful and corrupt. This Fear will enslave us. One day we are going to wake up and we will be safe. But in this safety we will be caged. Is safety more important than freedom?
For those of you who think this is far-fetched or exaggerated, I challenge you to open your eyes and observe the world around you. Ask yourself this question: are you as free as you were a year ago? Are you as free as you were ten years ago? Surely an honest answer will be NO.