Freedom

What images does this word conjure. Do you think about camping in a secluded, pristine part of the country? Do you think about loving who you want to love, breathing clean air, drinking pure water, contributing to the betterment of society, supporting education for your children, supporting science and maybe even supporting equal rights for all? Maybe freedom is being able to walk down the street without big brother watching. Possibly, if a woman, being able to drive a car, walk the streets without fear, controlling your reproductive system or wanting equal pay for equal work? Maybe you want to say and think what you wish without fear?

I could go on with that list. Maybe they're not all examples of what all of us might think is being free, but I would think that certain people would agree to certain described examples. Possibly you want to travel unhindered, maybe you would like not to be profiled; I understand.

But these thoughts are probably more ingrained into the progressive mind.

When looking at the conservative mind, you must remember that none of these thoughts define their freedom. Freedom for a conservative never includes freedom for everyone. It is a very selfish and destructive freedom that they promote.

As an example, a recent conversation in my local pub with a conservative friend on freedom:

I tell him of a story that I think is amusing, not a conflict. While in FL, family members that came to visit were surprised no one recycles in the area we are staying. I don't know if it is a state wide initiative, but in the panhandle they burn everything to generate power. I have no clue as to the safeness, or danger of the operation; wasn't the point I was making. My story was centered around how my sister-in-law was saving plastic bags to bring back to Michigan to recycle and how I was amused with her wanting me to take some home with me. Instead of the amusement I thought the story would generate, his interpretation of the story was centered on freedom. He liked the burning instead of the recycling; that's freedom!

Now the discussion is freedom. The holy rallying cry of the conservative movement. I've heard the same from every conservative that I've talked to where that subject has been brought up.

According to my friends, burning, polluting, destroying the environment is all about freedom. No big deal there's mercury in the fish you eat, it's a good thing. It's the free market at work. Blowing the tops off mountains and poisoning the water and air in the surrounding areas, no problem. Oil spills in the gulf? The free market will clean that up. Carrying guns is freedom no matter how many are killed. Fossil fuels are awesome. Who wants some pussy electric car? Factory farming is great, we can feed the masses cheaply. Blowing cigarette smoke in my face; hey, they have the right to do what they want.

There's no moral to this story, in fact it is only a story of incomprehension. Mine, theirs; yours?

There's only one thought that you need to remember, if you are a progressive, and you are talking freedom with a conservative, they have a totally different definition of that word. There definition is simple; one can do whatever they want regardless of the harm it may cause. It is a very simple thought, they disregard any consequences that may happen because of their exercise of freedom.

The average conservative must be unable to see the future that their freedom would create. It is either a cognitive disability, or the influence of religion; or more than likely, both.

Don't Say a Word

Religion always refrains from calling freedom of speech a liberty that should be enjoyed by all. Religion says, "say this, ignore this, toe the line buddy or rot in hell." Good for them, making up arbitrary rules of behavior is where it's at. I can't blame them for the thought, if I were to make up some bullshit claptrap for fools to follow, then I should get to make the rules; simple as that.

Normally I am irritated by religion itself. The monstrous institution that lays down nonsensical laws from the main man is always at the top of the list of things I heartily disdain. Religion permeates and entrenches itself into every aspect of society. Given a chance, it will steal the minds of every culture. That is the main reason I despise those whose quest for power centers on belief instead of reason.

It is much easier to gain renown by making shit up than by examining the truth of the world that surrounds you.

At times though I do get pissed at the followers as well. The thought that any person I come into contact with can be so easily led is disturbing. They look like me on the outside. They usually talk like me. They usually love their family, hang on to friends, work and play; all just like me.

I mean really, forget about free speech itself. If your mind is imprisoned, how can freedom exist?

It's a thought that would appear to be true, how else could a reasonable society embrace creationism? How else could you dislike, or possibly even hate, your neighbor if your mind was free to explore a different possibility? Only the mandate of religion would make a seemingly nice person frown upon his nice gay neighbor, or nice atheist neighbor, or even another nice person that believes in his own god nonsense.

John Calvin stated, "that no idolatry, no blasphemy against the name of God, no calumnies against his truth, nor other offences to religion, break out and be disseminated among the people. . . . [Government must] prevent the true religion, which is contained in the law of God, from being with impunity openly violated and polluted by public blasphemy." He rants on, "Those who would spare heretics and blasphemers are themselves blasphemers. Here we follow not the authority of men but we hear God speaking as in no obscure terms He commands His church forever. Not in vain does He extinguish all those affections by which our hearts are softened: the love of parents, brothers, neighbors and friends. He calls the wedded from their marriage bed and practically denudes men of their nature lest any obstacle impede their holy zeal. Why is such implacable severity demanded unless . . . devotion to God’s honor should be preferred to all human concerns and as often as His glory is at stake we should expunge from memory our mutual humanity."

Calvin was a monstrosity, but only because he followed biblical law. So to some extent, followers do moderate some of the worst of the bible. Yet when I hear about anti-blasphemy laws trying to become man's law, not god's law, I think maybe religious culture is not becoming any more tolerant than in his day.

Is it only fear that keeps a rational mind from expressing his doubts? Or is it culture and a society that respects and engages in religion that denies freedom to criticize. Blasphemy laws would allow religion to run rampant, unchecked in it's ability to confuse and demean humanity.

A few states still have old blasphemy laws on the books. Even in Michigan it exists. In 2007 at a city council meeting in Montrose, a gentleman said "god damn" and was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obscenity. Didn't hold up, but still they try.

The UN has tested the waters entertaining the thought of a world ban on defaming religion; good luck with that one.

Also posted at The Cranky Atheist. 

Freedom

Northern Americans just get all giddy when they hear that word. Even though it is illusory at best, it still seems to make us feel proud. 




To be sure, we do have the documents proclaiming our freedom. We have our Constitution that describes how our government is set up. The document is nationally revered by the tea partiers, who don't understand a damn word of it.


We have our Declaration of Independence, which starts with the thought that all men are created equal, then we ignore the thought for close to a hundred years practicing slavery. Of course, though the practice ended it would be another hundred years before there was something that resembled equality for all.




Then the one document that amends our Constitution, a changing document, is the Bill of Rights. This one guarantees our personal freedoms, and is constantly ignored by our government, except when it suits their purpose. 




Amendment 4 of the Bill of Rights guarantees our right to be secure in our homes, in our person, in our papers and effect, against unreasonable searches and seizures. After 9/11 the abominable Patriot Act came in effect nullifying that freedom. The people just ignored the ramifications; a scared populace is easy to manipulate.




Amendments 6 has to do with the right to a speedy trial and confrontation of witnesses, ignored now as well. Amendment 8 was the ban on cruel and unusual punishment, torture ended that one also.




Anyway, we do have the documents that supposedly control what actions the government can take. Doesn't mean much when you have a country of sheep that won't stand up to power, but the freedom is there within our reach if we take it. I guess most citizens of the United States believe they do have personal freedom, whether that thought is true or false, we believe it.




My favorite amendments, and the ones that are constantly in your face if you live here, is the 1st and 2nd amendments. 




The second amendment is the tea party darling. The right to, supposedly, own weapons. Yes, we have a country of death when compared to any other country that has the rules of government in place. We shoot our friends, our family and those who might be enemies. It is the american way for many people, mostly for those lacking empathy or intelligence, or a combination of the two. It really is a travesty that over a million people have been killed by guns since Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy were assassinated. Among twenty three populous, high income countries, 80 percent of firearm deaths occurred in the United States.




As has been said before, you can't fix stupid.




Now for the big one, the first amendment. Fuck, this one is fried. The first one is the Establishment Clause, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. That has been circumvented and we have established that christianity is our religion. This was done by creating special programs for "faith based" grants. 




The first amendment also guarantees freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people to peaceably assemble. For protestors, they know that for the most part that free assembly is gone. You can do so, but no where near the source of your agitation, so why bother. 




As for freedom of speech, that's where proselytizing comes in. Yes sir, you can stand on your pulpit and preach nonsense; it's guaranteed by the law. The U.S. government loves this, because religion controls the masses. Yes sheep, talking to you.




Freedom of speech is not just for the religious, they just cling to it more than others; when you know what you're saying is certifiably crazy, you need all the help you can get. Freedom of speech is kind of a myth, you do not have the right to say anything you want in this country, but you can get away with quite a bit. There is no doubt that freedom of speech is a necessity for a democratic government.




If you think about it though, the religious do not really use freedom of speech to proselytize, they use a lesser known amendment, one I didn't know existed; the freedom to fucking bore us to tears.