Today, specifically because it's 9/11, seems like a good day for my little Freedom rant. Keep in mind, I'm not trying to offend you. I'm giving my opinion. And yes, my opinion might be offensive. But that doesn't mean it's directed at you or that being offensive is it's objective.
On 9/11, I was sitting in Math Class when I heard about the attack on the Twin Towers. It was sad, but the thing I remember most is that some of the people around me were getting really scared. I remember thinking, "yeah, because after New York City, Waterford, MI is there next target." But I didn't say anything because it wouldn't have been appropriate. The entire day, though, I remember being very annoyed with people. It was all they would talk about and they were all acting like it was the most tragic thing in the world. And I'm not saying that it wans't a great tragedy. It was, it really was. But things like this happen in other countries all the time. I just didn't understand how Americans could act like we're the only ones who have ever lost innocent people. I thought maybe an incident like this would open America's eyes to what the world was really like. But it only seemed to make us even more nationalistic.The events of 9/11 were a tragedy. But I think America's response to it is even more tragic, both the response of the military/government and of everyday civilians. I don't think it made much of an impact on America. Yes, individually, we were affected, but I don't think it really had any prominent or permanent change on our society.
People, Americans, still seem to think that whatever they think is right is actually right. What business is it of ours what other countries do? Don't we have enough problems without going out and finding more? If you come home and find your family under attack, are you going to go tell the neighbors that they should stop hitting their child before doing anything about your spouse and kids? Or are you going to protect your family first? The same principle applies to our country. We need to take care of ourselves. If someone asks for our help, fine. If we see ways we can help without abandoning ourselves, great. But hauling our troops over to Iraq, ripping them from their families, just so we can hunt someone down who we think might be a threat? Doesn't that seem really stupid? Is it our country? Is it our job to help them?
Some people might claim it's our responsibilties to help those less fortuanate. And maybe it is. But do we need to spend billions of dollars to do it? Probably. But how should we spend it? Should we send hundreds of troops over while we have kids starving on our own streets. Should our young men and women be marching through the desert looking for imiginary weapons when at home our kids are being shot in their schools? Does anyone else see a problem in the government's logic?
And I'm not blaming Bush. Under the circumstances, a lot of people would have reacted the same way. But reaction time is over. Now Bush is taking Action. He's intentionally putting our soldiers at risk for something that is not our concern. We gave Irag back to it's people. Not get out and let them have it. If they can't keep things how they want them, then it's their own fault. It's not ours.
Somewhere along the road, America has decided that Freedom is a thing, an object that can be possessed. They think that because we have it, everyone else needs to have it too, and we're the ones who can give it to them.
Freedom is not a thing. You can't own Freedom. You can't have Freedom. You can practice Freedom. You can earn Freedom. You can share Freedom. But it is not a thing. It is a concept. It is the idea that everyone has the right to live as they want to live. Now some things that people want to do go against freedom because they interfere on other people's freedom. Killing people: well, that kinda interferes with someone's right to live. Subjegating women intereferes on the woman's right to live as she chooses. Praying to God instead og to Buddha in school? What rights does that interfere on? A person's right to go to school without having religion shoved down their throat? I don't think so. Sitting next to someone who's praying is exposure to religion, not forced knowledge.
And yes, the right to pray to God means the right to pray to Buddha. The right to live as husband and wife means the right to live as husband and husband, or wife and wife. We may not approve of other people's choices. We might even think that their choices are wrong. But that doens't mean we can decide they aren't allowed to do them. To have the rights to do what you wants means letting others have the rights to do what they want. I may not approve of burning the flag. But I will fight for your right to do it.
It doesn't matter what the specifics are. Think of the concept. Freedom. If you want it, you have to let other people have it too.
On 9/11, I was sitting in Math Class when I heard about the attack on the Twin Towers. It was sad, but the thing I remember most is that some of the people around me were getting really scared. I remember thinking, "yeah, because after New York City, Waterford, MI is there next target." But I didn't say anything because it wouldn't have been appropriate. The entire day, though, I remember being very annoyed with people. It was all they would talk about and they were all acting like it was the most tragic thing in the world. And I'm not saying that it wans't a great tragedy. It was, it really was. But things like this happen in other countries all the time. I just didn't understand how Americans could act like we're the only ones who have ever lost innocent people. I thought maybe an incident like this would open America's eyes to what the world was really like. But it only seemed to make us even more nationalistic.The events of 9/11 were a tragedy. But I think America's response to it is even more tragic, both the response of the military/government and of everyday civilians. I don't think it made much of an impact on America. Yes, individually, we were affected, but I don't think it really had any prominent or permanent change on our society.
People, Americans, still seem to think that whatever they think is right is actually right. What business is it of ours what other countries do? Don't we have enough problems without going out and finding more? If you come home and find your family under attack, are you going to go tell the neighbors that they should stop hitting their child before doing anything about your spouse and kids? Or are you going to protect your family first? The same principle applies to our country. We need to take care of ourselves. If someone asks for our help, fine. If we see ways we can help without abandoning ourselves, great. But hauling our troops over to Iraq, ripping them from their families, just so we can hunt someone down who we think might be a threat? Doesn't that seem really stupid? Is it our country? Is it our job to help them?
Some people might claim it's our responsibilties to help those less fortuanate. And maybe it is. But do we need to spend billions of dollars to do it? Probably. But how should we spend it? Should we send hundreds of troops over while we have kids starving on our own streets. Should our young men and women be marching through the desert looking for imiginary weapons when at home our kids are being shot in their schools? Does anyone else see a problem in the government's logic?
And I'm not blaming Bush. Under the circumstances, a lot of people would have reacted the same way. But reaction time is over. Now Bush is taking Action. He's intentionally putting our soldiers at risk for something that is not our concern. We gave Irag back to it's people. Not get out and let them have it. If they can't keep things how they want them, then it's their own fault. It's not ours.
Somewhere along the road, America has decided that Freedom is a thing, an object that can be possessed. They think that because we have it, everyone else needs to have it too, and we're the ones who can give it to them.
Freedom is not a thing. You can't own Freedom. You can't have Freedom. You can practice Freedom. You can earn Freedom. You can share Freedom. But it is not a thing. It is a concept. It is the idea that everyone has the right to live as they want to live. Now some things that people want to do go against freedom because they interfere on other people's freedom. Killing people: well, that kinda interferes with someone's right to live. Subjegating women intereferes on the woman's right to live as she chooses. Praying to God instead og to Buddha in school? What rights does that interfere on? A person's right to go to school without having religion shoved down their throat? I don't think so. Sitting next to someone who's praying is exposure to religion, not forced knowledge.
And yes, the right to pray to God means the right to pray to Buddha. The right to live as husband and wife means the right to live as husband and husband, or wife and wife. We may not approve of other people's choices. We might even think that their choices are wrong. But that doens't mean we can decide they aren't allowed to do them. To have the rights to do what you wants means letting others have the rights to do what they want. I may not approve of burning the flag. But I will fight for your right to do it.
It doesn't matter what the specifics are. Think of the concept. Freedom. If you want it, you have to let other people have it too.
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