Land of the free
We have been doing a bit of social studies this week. A lot of what we learn about ends up talking about America and it’s symbols for freedom. Our grand flag. The Boston Tea party and how we fought to be represented, to have a say. How those first members of what would become the United States were fighting for freedom in their own religion. Freedom to not have to pay taxes without getting a say in what those taxes were for.
And, it’s hard to teach that with the sincerity now. I guess because I am no longer feeling free to practice my religion. I no longer feel free to make choices for my family on how we want to live, or eat. What happened to my land of the free?
In the beginning we had groups of like minded people living together. We had laws passed on local levels, not across every state. And, that gave people more freedom. One group in New York was not deciding how another group in California should live. We messed it up by saying everyone had to conform. We messed it up by categorizing people based on class or color. And yeah, maybe some misguided Christians led those group, but, they were wrong.
I must remember to teach my children their history. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can stop us from having to repeat it. But, they will be armed.
This year when I vote I hope to find someone on the ballot who I can vote for and know my vote is allowing me the freedom I want to know what food I am feeding my kids, the freedom to teach my children the faith I want, to birth how I want with full consent, to make an informed choice on vaccinations, homeschooling, raising up this family. And even if they don’t agree with me, I want them to allow me my freedoms to not conform with society. Freedom to be empowered, not to take what I can get like a drug addict needing a fix.
I wish everyone could truly vote to live life as they want, but to allow others to do the same and to consider that as they vote. All men, have the right to life.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
