Freedom Isn’t Free

Freedom is the opposite of pornography: you know what it is when you don’t see it. As Americans, we look at other countries and can be proud that we, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, are not subjected to authoritarian rule as they are.

But here, in this country, we seem to have different definitions of freedom. For me, it’s being able to choose anything I want, free from fear of criticism or being prevented from thinking the way I want.

Imagine going to a grocery store’s cereal aisle and picking up a box of Raisin Bran. As you put it into your cart, a swarm of protestors runs up and begins verbally abusing you for your selection. Someone punches you and grabs the box from your hands, slamming it to the floor and stomping on it. Crumbs explode from the crushed box. Suddenly, you see a red dot on your chest, and a sniper, hiding in the ceiling by the surveillance camera, takes you out with a single shot. For liking Raisin Bran.

My inevitable question, when watching this story on the news would be: Why do they care what cereal someone eats? And this is the same question I always ask: Why do you care if someone is gay or transgender, if they want to proclaim their pronouns, or if they want to treat everyone as equals, with respect and empathy? More importantly, how can someone say that by forcing others to think in that same narrow way that that person is upholding freedom? Sorry, that’s fascism and authoritarianism, and freedom—true freedom—is not anarchy, but a democratic society we would (should?) all be proud to live in.

Comment your thoughts and reactions , and please like and follow. And Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, in any way you define yourself as a mother!