Freedom?
While out driving this past weekend, I had a bunch of time to just ponder things. One item that crossed my mind, in thinking about the London bombings, 9/11, current events and traveling over some of the general routes up over the Shenandoahs, through Kentucky and into the Ozarks, as many pioneers had before me, is there seems to always be a running theme of "we're fighting the terrorists to protect our freedom, our way of life."
What strikes me is that this fight on terror so often ends up meaning we quickly move to tighten security, increase monitoring, strengthen the powers of law enforcement, build up the military, add government agencies, restrict access, crack down on suspicious people, and so on... all in the name of preserving our freedom. Patriotic seems to mean flag waving, god fearing, church going, and not questioning.
This all, to me, begs the questions, What is Freedom? What does Freedom mean to people? What are we Free from? Or Free to do? Free to express? Free to talk about? Who are we Free to associate with? What are we Free to believe? Do we have a Free press? Are we Free to question our leaders? Are we Free to worship where, when and how we want? Are we Free from searches and seizures of our persons, papers and effects? Where are we Free to go?
Are we Free? What is Freedom? What does Freedom mean to you? Would you fight for it?
What strikes me is that this fight on terror so often ends up meaning we quickly move to tighten security, increase monitoring, strengthen the powers of law enforcement, build up the military, add government agencies, restrict access, crack down on suspicious people, and so on... all in the name of preserving our freedom. Patriotic seems to mean flag waving, god fearing, church going, and not questioning.
This all, to me, begs the questions, What is Freedom? What does Freedom mean to people? What are we Free from? Or Free to do? Free to express? Free to talk about? Who are we Free to associate with? What are we Free to believe? Do we have a Free press? Are we Free to question our leaders? Are we Free to worship where, when and how we want? Are we Free from searches and seizures of our persons, papers and effects? Where are we Free to go?
Are we Free? What is Freedom? What does Freedom mean to you? Would you fight for it?