We generally praise the basic concept of individual freedom without ever defining what that freedom might be. We expect to be granted the liberty to do as we choose, but we politely ignore the rules of society to refrain from infringing on the freedom of others. In that frequently overlooked “Catch 22” restriction, we aggressively promote liberty to other cultures without identifying what individual freedom entails and how much of it is allowed per person.
Today the suicide bomber has the most obvious freedom in human society because he or she can take the lives of other humans and eliminate the freedom of others with their repugnant acts. And they don’t believe that they will be punished for their inhumane behavior because they are convinced that some deity will forgive them and honor their sacred duty of ridding mankind of infidels.
Everyday more legislation is passed to restrict the personal freedom of the members of society: laws, ordinances, procedures, codes of conduct, building codes, and rules of the road. The numerous courts hand down justice when a law has been violated and a “perp” has been properly apprehended and instructed about a suspect’s Miranda rights.
The forensic specialist who is a renowned expert on medical malpractice, Dr. Edward N. Willey, sums up his experience in court by the following comment: “Justice is the name the strong have given the process where their interests prevail over those of the weak.” Reality is what it is!
Thousands of innocent airline passengers are groped and X-rayed in airports everyday in an intensive search to determine who the suicide bombers are. The cost of that effort is immense and not one “perp” has been identified yet. Since profiling is supposedly taboo, the newly expanded activity of TSA is worrisome for its high cost and unnecessary personal aggravation.
Security supposedly is “Job 1” in the United States until some military man executes a few innocent infidels (if such a term is acceptable to Muslim worshipers.) Then new measures must be implemented ASAP. These random killers aren’t the only dissatisfied local citizens or visitors to these shores. Throughout our history, political assassins have been motivated to “take out” undesirable government employees and anyone who gets in their way of doing that. The democratic process to change what’s happening in this nation is absolutely too slow, too polarized, and too unpredictable. Besides, a lot of money, lobbyists, and biased media support is requisite to approve changes.
Freedom !
Americans cherish their independence, brag about their four freedoms, and expect to be liberated from any noisome pestilence, local or foreign. All of us are granted freedom to dispose of what we don’t want in our lives like used clothing, an un-operable appliance, and worn out skates. But we aren’t permitted to get rid of our spouses, our neighbors, or our enemies without due process of the law – whatever that means. Killing others is definitely not permitted in the U.S. except in self-defense.
Where do educated human beings get the idea that removing other humans is a tolerable act approved by rational Homosapiens? Is there any human lifestyle that allows scoundrels, terrorists, and assassins the individual right to execute other humans? In a society like California’s against putting down criminals convicted of heinous acts unless the execution is painless, how do we get into the heads of these murderous deviates that such anti-social behavior is completely unacceptable?
Where There Is No Freedom
Jails and prisons are overcrowded in this state, and the number of recidivists is 70%. Obviously, the convicts incarcerated in California aren’t being reformed! The present threat to civilization is more than unarmed citizens and law enforcement can deal with. Unfortunately, the evaluation procedure of psychotic members who are potentially dangerous to society is inadequate.
Americans are still allowed to toss out the miscellaneous junk in our possession, but we have not adequately identified society’s undesirable refuse and figured out how to recycle it, if there truly is a way.
Preemptive wars are not the solution, nor are wars against illegal drugs, if Mexico is an example of how to manage the drug dealing populace. Government leaders must learn much more about identifying those individuals who possess the freedom to exterminate social and religious pests and are motivated to act on their own.
Individual Freedom or General Welfare?
A major question people ask is: What is the most important, individual freedom or the general welfare of society? Well, it depends, but, without individual freedom, it probably isn’t even worth thinking about the general good.
Do the people of our society want to give up our personal freedom so that someone else can decide what freedoms we are allowed to have? The answer to that question is not likely to be yes.
Life isn’t just getting your way and getting rid of human obstacles. It’s finding out how to arrive at the light at the end of the tunnel intact, healthy, and with all your marbles! Now that is individual freedom.