FREEDOM! (TM)

This is the best photo I could find of Mr. RNT.

Ask anyone fortunate enough to live in a first world democracy if they love freedom and they will say something along the lines of, "HELL YES I DO! What do you think I am some sort of commie pinko faggot?" Ok luckily not everyone will say this, but I have had someone say this to me before, with a straight face.

The lack of eloquence in the above statement isn't the focus of this post, the context behind the above statement is however. What I and a man who I will refer to as Mr. Red Neck Texan or Mr. RNT (not all Texans are red necks) were discussing was the Patriot Act that was passed around 2001. Actually if I remember correctly I was having a discussion with an intelligent human being about the Patriot Act when Mr. RNT decided to jump in and be a dumbass. Then after a short and fruitless discussion I asked Mr. RNT if he loved freedom, he gave me the above idiotic response. Years later as another election draws near here in Canada I sit and ponder the nature of our freedom and the question I asked Mr. RNT so many years ago.

During my pondering I've come to the conclusion that freedom has a great deal of problems attached to it. First it is a really difficult thing to come to an agreement on how much is too much of a good thing, or whether we need even more. Sure something like slavery is easily judged to be an abhorrent practice by anyone who considers themselves civilized, and the majority of people out there would agree that Egoist anarchistic freedom (what I have the might to do, I have the right to do) is undesirable.

Something like freedom of speech however is difficult to come to an agreement on, a good example is the difference between laws governing freedom of speech in America and Canada. Now I'm not familiar with the Constitution or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  to the extent that I could argue them with a judge from either side of the border, but I do know that Canadian broadcasting standards prevent things like this and this from spewing forth from the mouths of Canadian media personalities based on the law. I think that the kind of garbage being spewed forth from those two videos has no place in reasonable discourse, and I am glad that the people attached to such hate are being challenged when they try and spew it here in Canada. Of course even in Canada there are those who would like to see a more American tilt to freedom of speech, just as I'm sure there are Americans who would like to adopt our angle instead. This is our first problem in regards to freedom, no one can exactly meet eye to eye on how far to go with implementing our freedoms.

I'm not crazy! The aliens took my colon.

Along my route of enponderment (Myriam Webster add it in) I came across another problem, someone will always be trying to take what ever freedom you have. I know it sounds a bit paranoid to say that. I admit it's up there with satellites are stealing my thoughts, and that their is a great and ancient war taking place right now on Earth between two species of aliens. But it really makes sense. To illustrate my point I ask what is the job of government? Don't give me the mission statement or what you have learned in social studies, that stuff is bull. The role of government is to maintain order, to administrate, and to keep me from banging down your door and taking everything you hold dear from you. Actually doing what the electorate wants comes back seat to all that, because most of the electorate are idiots and can't even keep their credit card spending down, never mind balance a budget. Running a government is a difficult job (still doesn't justify the salary) so wouldn't it be easier if the rights and freedoms of the electorate interfered less with the job? Of course it would! Now this doesn't mean that the government is plotting against you from behind closed doors, no no, but it does make it easier for the government to take a little bit of your freedom when the circumstances call for it.

The Patriot Act is a prime example of this. It gave law enforcement and government agencies in the Untied States the ability to detain immigrants, sometimes indefinitely, without even revealing the evidence against the accused. That wasn't even the worst of the provisions in the act either, but that isn't the point here. The fact that the Patriot Act was simply made into law with little resistance is the point, a government took a little freedom away when they saw an opportunity in the fear that the war on terror inspired in the general populace. Whether or not there was a more sinister ulterior motive to this move will never be known, but what is known is that given the right (or wrong) circumstances someone will try and take your freedom away from you.

Disappointed in your lack of enthusiasm for freedom.

The greatest problem however is the intense apathy towards freedom that most people have. Look at America, England, and Canada. You'll find that voter turn out is at an all time low in all these nations, people just don't care enough to exercise what little power they have. Exercising this power is important,  because besides actually becoming a politician or protesting day in day out, it's the only way to determine what rights and freedoms you have. Along with ensuring that they are up held.

This apathy is also expressed in our attitude towards those who fight for our rights and freedoms. Protesters are seen by the general populace as nothing more than trouble makers and rabble-rousers, which undoubtedly the more destructive ones are, but many of them are fighting actively for my freedoms and yours. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union fight so that everyone's rights and freedoms can be expressed equally, and despite the fact that I even disagree with whom they have given their support in the past I still admit that their cause is a noble one. No matter how noble their cause though many people demonize them for taking the stance that rights and freedoms are for everyone all of the time.

Some people are just too lazy, or too scared to work for their freedom,  they act like freedom is just too much of a burden. Or perhaps they just think that their freedom will always be there, that it will never be taken away. But it won't always be there, freedom is something that you have to constantly stand up for, whether you believe in total chaotic freedom or whether you believe in the freedom just to stand up and say I don't agree.

Combining these problem together make one thing abundantly clear to me now. It's easy to find reasons to take away freedom, be it safety, comfort, or security. With the world falling into chaos we could easily see our freedom taken away in our life time if we are unwilling or unable to do something about it. Freedom is like a child hood dream, it's an easy thing to give up on, and that is why we can't give up on it.