Freedom Lost

Do you like living free? Oh? And just how free have you felt over the last few years?

We can't just sit back and allow the loss of our freedoms… or can we? We elect the government, and it works for us, or at least that’s the theory. Remember the famous phrase “Of the people, by the people, and for the people”? We are the government after all, and government is not supposed to be a mob of radicals (either far left, or far right) sitting in Washington giving every appearance of being completely disconnected from reality, and quite happily forcing their wishes on the rest of us. As we watch Obama’s plan for health care being rammed through an uncaring Congress despite overall public opposition, we can only ask how our government got so arrogant that it now presumes it can dictate how we live our personal lives. The House of Representatives voted (by only a five vote majority you may have noticed) to have the federal government manage the health care of every American. If this bill passes the Senate and becomes law, the federal government will be legally able to force you to buy medical insurance you might not want, or may not need, or cannot afford. If you don’t purchase what the government tells you to buy, if you don’t do so when they tell you to do it, and if you don’t buy just what they think is right for you, the government may fine you up to a quarter million dollars, and even put you in jail for five years. I’ve often said than anyone who drives down the street without auto insurance is out of their mind, and in this day and age medical insurance is much the same. But I strenuously object to the government telling me the “what’s, where’s, and how’s” of insuring my little corner of the world! It is after all my corner, and MY choice! Actually this entire runaround is a good example of the socialist elite style of governing, “do what we tell you or go to jail."

In the aftermath of 9-11, the Bush administration hurriedly pushed the “Patriot Act” through a panicky Congress, and soon presented us with the Department of Homeland Security, all in the name of fighting a war on terror and thus making us “safe”. With that, our government can declare anyone who disagrees with the official line a terrorist, spy on them, strip search them at the airport, search their home without permission or a search warrant, lock them away for an indefinite period without charges, restrict any financial dealing they might have (if they have any money left that is), restrict their travels, and even interfere with the enjoyment of various (potentially terrorist oriented I assume) hobbies! It restricts immigration and naturalization of those who would like to become American citizens, but doesn’t seem to have had any effect on the illegal immigration problem. It hasn’t had much effect on terrorism either, at least none that I can see.

Although I haven’t seen it yet, I understand there’s a provision in the upcoming “cap-and-trade” bill that will require you to have an EPA permit to sell your house, that’s intended to make sure that your home meets all the latest government energy standards. Anyone who has ever dealt with the FHA or VA should understand all the hoops that will require you to jump through.

Mr. Obama has proposed to double the national debt within one year, a debt that has taken us more than two centuries to accumulate, and additionally proposes to double the debt yet again within the next 10 years. Sen. Reid on the other hand is reportedly planning to cover the estimated $1.2 trillion dollar cost of Obamacare with increased payroll taxes on “the rich”. Just how many “rich folks” do they think we have in this country, and if their taxes keep going up, just how long will they remain that way?!

Strangely enough, the United States has more proven oil reserves in the ground than does Saudi Arabia, yet half-baked environmental regulations don’t allow us to extract or use that oil, effectively keeping us in economic thralldom to foreign nations. Environmental laws deny us the use or enjoyment of our own public lands. “Political correctness” determines what I can say, where I can say it, and even how I can say it.

Things were not supposed to be this way. Our founders determined that we would elect the government, and that it would work for us. How did things get so removed, so unbridled, that government thinks it can now tell us how to live our lives? “Freedoms lost” rarely comes upon us in one fell swoop, and liberty is rarely lost with one stroke of the pen. It happens gradually over time, through the years and decades. A little stretch of the rules here, a little oversight there, and powers are slowly taken from the states and the people. Before you know it, we have one massive government that recognizes no restraints, and claims the power to regulate any activity, tax any behavior, and demand conformity to any standard it chooses. Our nation’s founders did not give us the government we seem to have today. The government enacted by our Constitution was strictly limited in its powers, was to guaranteed individual liberty, preserved the free market, and on private matters was supposed to keep its nose out of our business. When writing our Constitution, our nations Founders built in a series of checks and balances. If the Congress got out of hand, the states could restrain it. If the states stole our liberty or property, Congress could rein them in. If the President tried to become king, the Supreme Court would prevent it. And today?

So what can we now do about the loss of freedom? As Fox News commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano says, “For starters, we can vote the bums out of their cushy federal offices! We can persuade our state governments to defy the Feds in areas like health care -- where the Constitution gives the Feds zero authority. We can petition our state legislatures to threaten to amend the Constitution to abolish the income tax, return the selection of U.S. senators to state legislatures and nullify all the laws the Congress has written that are not based in the Constitution.” Sounds like good advice to me, as we sure can’t just sit back on our behinds and let government walk all over us.

I’m told that Americans are the freest people on Earth. If that’s the case, and looking back at what we’ve lost over the last thirty years, the rest of the world has my deepest sympathies!