I was at a party a couple of years ago and I was in a conversation with another person. One of the other guests was eavesdropping on the conversation that I was having  He kept on say the only thing important was freedom. It really didn’t add anything of substance to the conversation and I thought it was strange that he was thinking that he was adding something meaningful. The only thing important is freedom? What in the hell does that mean? It took me a long time to figure out that in reality what it meant was that he really didn’t have anything constructive to add to the conversation so he would just throw out that statement to try and sound like some patriot.

I am old enough that when I went to school they actually taught history. They taught us what the freedom that our forefathers were fighting for. Do you think they were fighting for the freedom to own a gun? Well you would be wrong. They already had the freedom to own a gun. Our revolution was fought with guns that people already legally owned. What were those freedoms that they fought for? The main one was the right to form their own representative government.  Remember the phrase “No Taxation Without Representation”? They started out petitioning the British Government for representation. They wanted a voice in the way they were governed. They petitioned the King with a list of grievances. If granted by the King it would have restored the relationship between the colonies and the crown. You know the results and we fought for the rights to  self govern.

When they won their freedom to form their own government they wrote a constitution which was the real freedom that they were fighting for. It defines the rules to which our government is run. Now that document does list many of your personal freedoms like free speech, the right to a militia and freedom of and from religion. Now many of those right at under attack. Free speech and freedom of the press is under attack. When our government demonizes the national media and proposes a state run media that is a problem that all of us must oppose. It hasn’t happened yet but Trump did propose it.  Countries like Russia and Iran have state run medias. Do we really want to become like them. Just a puppet of propaganda from the government? I sure don’t. I may not always like what I read but I have a choice to verify the reporting a search for the truth. What is wrong with searching for the truth?

Our freedom of speech is also under attack. Part of our freedom of speech is the freedom to protest, not riot but protest. I will tell our forefathers did both protest and riot. The Boston tea party wasn’t a get to know you with the British. Those rioters are now considered Patriots. I know that was different because we were fighting for our freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you are going to be really honest about this how much different is that than the Black Lives Matter Movement? I do want all rioters arrested. I also want all people that would deny me my right to protest arrested also. In Florida they have passed laws making it harder to protest.  They wish to suppress my right of protest and peaceful assembly. So freedom is not a word that many politicians believe in. It is just a word to try use to stir up the masses.

Freedom of choice is where the government is most obtrusive. You scream that you want freedom then you would deny it to a woman that wants to control their reproductive system. That is like saying freedom for me but no freedom for you. You can argue all you want about when life starts and when it should be protected but those are religious arguments. You do not have the right to force your religion on to me. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion. Now if you wish to create programs that will help unwed mothers and create assistance to them during and after the pregnancy I would not only commend you but I would also support you. I would say there goes a person that really wants to follow the word of Jesus. If all you want to do is use a baby as punishment for people having sex I will always oppose you. Using a baby as punishment should never be a solution because the baby will suffer, the mother will suffer, and society will suffer. You have no right to push your religious beliefs onto me.

Our freedom is under attack by the very people that have sworn to protect it. Now would someone tell me how socialism is taking away our freedom?