freedom and inalienable rights
Mardi, 43, married with three children, welcomes increasing government control over freedoms because she believes that freedom was never intended as an inalienable right for everyone and thinks that it's about time the myth was dispelled.
"When the Founding Fathers talked about freedom they had white men and money in mind," laughs Mardi. "They weren't thinking about women or people of other colors, and slavery and indentured servitude was rampant at the time, too!"
"Most of us have never been free to do what we want," says Mardi. "Many freedoms involve trampling upon the freedoms of others or going against social mores and becoming alienated from society."
"Who in their right mind supports a murderer's freedom to murder, a thief's freedom to steal or a tyrant's freedom to demolish the self-esteem of others?" asks Mardi. "And yet when taken to extremes this is exactly the sort of freedom that some people believe is their inalienable right."
"Freedom is something that always comes with boundaries imposed by the society in which we live," explains Mardi. "I don't believe I am free. I don't always have the right to choose. I am circumscribed in all but simple choices."
"Sure, I am better off than someone in Biafra - I have more choices - but sometimes I think that having the choice of what to eat is not what freedom is all about. A Biafran with nothing on his/her mind except where the next morsel of food is going to be found may be experiencing more freedom than I am."
"It's idealistic to believe that we need freedom in order to live and make the most of our lives," says Mardi. "In reality, we are required to conform in order to live and make the most of our lives."
"From childhood we learn that obedience is rewarded and freedom is punished," says Mardi. "We do what our parents and teachers and then employers and government tell us to do. The script is to become good, law-abiding citizens with jobs and money and things. Since when has our society applauded and rewarded the kids who believe that freedom is their inalienable right?"
"I grew up with the myth of freedom as an inalienable right," laughs Mardi, "but I soon got wise about what I could and could not do. My life has never been my own, of my choosing. It has always been ruled by what society expects of me. And that goes for all of us."
"I may be a success in the eyes of society in so far as my career and marriage is concerned," sighs Mardi, "but in my soul I know I am a failure because I am not free. I am not free to take off my clothes and run down the street in the rain - and I am not free to speak my mind freely. Who is?"
"I am tied by a job and a myriad of things which, when they all boil down, are merely means by which I can put food into my mouth," says Mardi. "I have more food to put into my mouth than I need. It is a wasteful existence. Is my life more meaningful and free than our Biafran friend?"
"I don't think so," sighs Mardi, "and that's why I support the government making no bones about cracking down on every aspect of our lives. It's about time that the myth was exposed as a myth. We have no freedom. We never did and we never will."
"Very few people pursue what is important to them, "says Mardi. "Instead, we pursue what society says is important and we naively think it is what we need. We've got to have this thing and that thing in order to be to a success and to show the world how free we are."
"It's amazing how the Biafrans manage to find love, friendship, family, children, etc without all the trappings we are told we need!"
"I believe all life is a struggle to fulfill basic needs for food and shelter, everything else is what we desire when our bellies are full and our bodies are warm and sheltered and we feel good."
"Have you ever noticed that when trouble is brewing people stock up on basic food and clothing and bedding and draw their loved ones close?" asks Mardi. "Nobody talks about inalienable rights and freedoms when times are hard."
"Lack of freedom is the price paid for membership of a group and as the world divides into camps this simple fact is made more apparent," says Mardi.
"It's silly to talk about fighting for our freedoms. We may think we have more freedoms than other people in other parts of the world, but we don't."
"When the Founding Fathers talked about freedom they had white men and money in mind," laughs Mardi. "They weren't thinking about women or people of other colors, and slavery and indentured servitude was rampant at the time, too!"
"Most of us have never been free to do what we want," says Mardi. "Many freedoms involve trampling upon the freedoms of others or going against social mores and becoming alienated from society."
"Who in their right mind supports a murderer's freedom to murder, a thief's freedom to steal or a tyrant's freedom to demolish the self-esteem of others?" asks Mardi. "And yet when taken to extremes this is exactly the sort of freedom that some people believe is their inalienable right."
"Freedom is something that always comes with boundaries imposed by the society in which we live," explains Mardi. "I don't believe I am free. I don't always have the right to choose. I am circumscribed in all but simple choices."
"Sure, I am better off than someone in Biafra - I have more choices - but sometimes I think that having the choice of what to eat is not what freedom is all about. A Biafran with nothing on his/her mind except where the next morsel of food is going to be found may be experiencing more freedom than I am."
"It's idealistic to believe that we need freedom in order to live and make the most of our lives," says Mardi. "In reality, we are required to conform in order to live and make the most of our lives."
"From childhood we learn that obedience is rewarded and freedom is punished," says Mardi. "We do what our parents and teachers and then employers and government tell us to do. The script is to become good, law-abiding citizens with jobs and money and things. Since when has our society applauded and rewarded the kids who believe that freedom is their inalienable right?"
"I grew up with the myth of freedom as an inalienable right," laughs Mardi, "but I soon got wise about what I could and could not do. My life has never been my own, of my choosing. It has always been ruled by what society expects of me. And that goes for all of us."
"I may be a success in the eyes of society in so far as my career and marriage is concerned," sighs Mardi, "but in my soul I know I am a failure because I am not free. I am not free to take off my clothes and run down the street in the rain - and I am not free to speak my mind freely. Who is?"
"I am tied by a job and a myriad of things which, when they all boil down, are merely means by which I can put food into my mouth," says Mardi. "I have more food to put into my mouth than I need. It is a wasteful existence. Is my life more meaningful and free than our Biafran friend?"
"I don't think so," sighs Mardi, "and that's why I support the government making no bones about cracking down on every aspect of our lives. It's about time that the myth was exposed as a myth. We have no freedom. We never did and we never will."
"Very few people pursue what is important to them, "says Mardi. "Instead, we pursue what society says is important and we naively think it is what we need. We've got to have this thing and that thing in order to be to a success and to show the world how free we are."
"It's amazing how the Biafrans manage to find love, friendship, family, children, etc without all the trappings we are told we need!"
"I believe all life is a struggle to fulfill basic needs for food and shelter, everything else is what we desire when our bellies are full and our bodies are warm and sheltered and we feel good."
"Have you ever noticed that when trouble is brewing people stock up on basic food and clothing and bedding and draw their loved ones close?" asks Mardi. "Nobody talks about inalienable rights and freedoms when times are hard."
"Lack of freedom is the price paid for membership of a group and as the world divides into camps this simple fact is made more apparent," says Mardi.
"It's silly to talk about fighting for our freedoms. We may think we have more freedoms than other people in other parts of the world, but we don't."
Labels: alienable rights, freedom, social contract
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