RETURN TO COMMON SENSE
IT'S A FREE COUNTRY, AIN'T IT?
"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin"A society that will trade a little Liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither."
Thomas Jefferson
(Letter to Madison)Well, ain't it? A Free country, that is? It's America, Land of the Free.
So . . .It just occurred to me the other day, while in a store as I said sarcastically, "Why not, it's a Free country ain't it?" And then I said, "Hey, you don't hear that much anymore, do you?" The two women clerks paused a few seconds and then said, "you're right, you don't." And I have been asking other folks if they hear it much anymore. Nope. I wonder why that is. What happened? Where'd it go? The saying and the Freedom.
When I was a kid, it seemed a lot more like a Free country. Of course there was still segregation; black and brown people didn't quite have as much Freedom as white folks but, that was soon to change. However, we Americans always bragged about our Freedom and said stuff like; "It's a Free country." Where did those old sayings go? I suppose they are still around some, but I don't hear em' much. Do you? Does it make you wonder? Does it make you worry? It should.
It seems that in 1990's America we are living on the left overs of Freedom more than the New births of Freedom. It seems we are coasting on the work of the past instead of forging new paths to Liberty. Why is that? Sure some folks feel Free but, the whole dang atmosphere seems tense and restrained. Could it be because we have too many laws, too many prisons, too many vindictive attitudes? I dunno. Too much Freedom maybe, huh? Guess them Founding Fathers was all off base. Yep, prisons, law and order, repression, tons of special laws, mean ole' courts . . . That's the path to Freedom, er, ugh . . . well, not Freedom, not Liberty, we done traded a little or a lot of that for a little order. Didn't we? We do have order. Don't we? And don't we all feel better, don't we all feel safer, don't we all feel American?
And say! Who is it that is a givin' all these gol-dang orders? I didn't know Americans was supposed to be ordered about all the time. I didn't think Americans, would allow it. Heck!
There is one concept that I can't ever seem to get through my thick American skull. That is, if we are All Created Equal and each and every citizen as important as the next, how come we call the government "they?" Didn't this ole' Train America get started on the Right track, with We the People? So what's the deal on this "they" biddness?
It seems certain Congressmen, political pundits and some others in media & etcetera are always tryin' to keep us scared of something. We're supposed to be scared so they-there's that word again- can protect us. They want us all dependent like on ‘em so we have to pay more taxes and stuff. Oh sure, there is some danger out there, and we need some protection, but not enough that we view the government as they! We keep calling the government that and pretty soon it will be theirs instead of ours, if it ain't already. Maybe we need to go back to protectin' our own selves more again. Maybe we need to consider protectin' ourselves from the government a little more. You know, like the Bill of Rights is supposed to do.
I always thought that America was a good idea. If history is correct, a heck of a lot of other Americans thought so too. A bunch even went out and gave their last full measure of devotion for America, Americans and Freedom. Some only gave a leg or an eye, their sanity or personal happiness for American Freedom. That's more than I ever did. I wonder why they did it? I wonder what possessed them?
Maybe they thought they were giving it for US. Maybe they thought they were securing Liberty for America's future. Maybe they did it so we could say, "Hey, it's a Free Country!" Without the question "ain't it?" on the end.
I hope it's not the "end" for American Freedom. I hope it for the sake of the patriots that gave their all and a little more, not to be traded for "a little order." I hope it for their children and their children's children. I hope it for the future of All Mankind. I hope that Liberty will never be traded off, but then they and not We, are running the show . . . And the trading has already begun!
I hope We wake up soon and send the traitors of American Liberty packin', er, ugh . . . I meant to say traders . . . or did I?
Cicero Dossey
Copyright 1997 R. D. Neligh 8/21/97
New Constellation Press/Syndicate/Net
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