Recently I have seen a poster in several forms that lists all of the things we could do 125 years ago without government permission. It is a wake up call. We think we are free but in reality we are tightly bound by the constraints of our society. Some are probably necessary. It might be necessary to require driving on a certain side of the road. Common threads of screws and a uniform standard of measurement are some of the basics in the Constitution. On the other hand, do I really need my barber to have a license issued by the state?
What limits your freedom? Think of a horse.
Fence freedom: We have all seen movies where herds of horses are thundering across the screen. They look as free as the wind. They are, for a couple of hundred yards. Then they run into a fence or some other barrier that says, “You can’t go here.” It is the illusion of freedom. You have 100 acres of unfettered roaming. As long as you leave your glasses off and don’t look too close you can feel free. There is still a fence and we know where the grass is greener. This is where most of us are. Unless we get really carried away or find a broken gate, we are golden.
Bridle and saddle: You can run fast and there are no fences to stop you but you don’t make any of the choices. Someone is in control of your actions. As long as you are going where they like, you are golden. Sometimes this is necessary such as in military operations but too many in other positions are told what to believe and when to believe it.
Hobbles freedom: If my reading gives me the right understanding hobbles are short ropes used to tie the front legs of a horse together. Moving is possible but difficult. It keeps them from wondering when you are not looking. Government restrictions like this let you go where you want but you can’t get far.
Lead freedom: This is a rope around your neck that gives you one option. There are no fences and no rider but there is also no freedom. A pack horse can get so used to this that they will follow along willingly. People who are products or our modern educational system often are brainwashed into this.
And keep in mind the destiny of a horse that breaks a leg.
Can a horse be truly free? It used to be possible but there were some definite dangers. Wild horses had real dangers from disease and parasites. They tended to get sick and die a lot. Over the years as horse hunters would capture the strongest and break them the herds became weaker and more sickly. Then you had the danger of predators. In the wild, horses are just part of the food chain. Notice that there eyes are on the side so they are the hunted, not the hunters.
Do you really want to be free? Liberty sounds nice but it has a down side. Our growing government is holding out the offer of security to replace liberty. Keep in mind that every new law that makes you safer comes in the form of a fence, bridle, hobble or lead. I guess some people are natural born pack horses.
November is coming. Vote for the people that are most willing to let you make your own choices.
homo unius libri
Will do.
ReplyDeleteIt will take more than two of us.
DeleteGrace and peace