Liberty?
Posted by Patrick Corkum on March 26, 2010
Something that has struck me lately about this country and its culture are the two words liberty and independence. These are two words that have little to do with this culture and country. Let us start with the word liberty. Next week I’ll talk about independence.
Liberty
Our Pledge of Allegiance has the phrase “liberty and justice for all”. Do we truly have liberty? The answer is not a simple one, because it is both yes and no. I am not going to go off on the rant about the liberty to worship as I want (all though I could). Rather, I am more interested in how we do not have the liberty to do certain things that seem a little ridiculous. For instance, I do not have the liberty of putting a shed in my yard, even though it is quite big enough. I could go on and on about the things that I should be allowed to do if I so choose, yet someone (government or other ruling authority) says that I cannot. Unfortunately, people cannot self govern themselves, so we need laws in order to protect people from others.However, that’s where it should stop. Government should not be in the business of protecting us from ourselves. In addition, there needs to be very good cause for laws protecting us from each other. Stupid things like not allowing me to have a shed because people might see it is crossing the line.
What do you think?
While I agree with you that Government intrusion should be kept at a minimum, a concept that the current administration has trouble with, I did want to point out something about your shed (or lack of) and liberty. The liberty provided in the Constitution is that you CHOSE to live in a place that has restrictions on your outbuildings and you can CHOOSE to move somewhere else if you don’t like it!! I, for example, would very willingly trade my ability to have a shed for your nice big and fairly flat yard! But I did exercise my liberty to live here and you there. Our country really is all about liberty. That seems to be changing under this administration, unfortunately.
A troubling impediment to our liberty is something like National Health Care. When the governement makes laws requiring me to purchase health insurance no matter where I live and use my money to subsidize someone’s health insurance in California, then my Constitutional liberty has been taken away. I have no option, then, to move somewhere where I don’t have to buy it. SO, when the government passes a law that says no one in the United States can have a shed, THEN you are in trouble!!! LOL!
I totally agree with your stance on liberty, just teasing you about your shed in the whole scheme of things!!!!