Note: I started this draft in 2022 and while the news at the time is what made me write it, all my words still hold true.
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
~Quote from the movie Shawshank Redemption
Rant coming in 3, 2, 1…
As I have said before I try really hard to limit my time on social media and limit my posts to food, travel and staying in touch with friends + family (oh, and tagging my best friend in memes) but truly, I’m as pissed as most people.
But the fact is, I’ve been pissed for a really long time – and even more so in the last two plus years. Because at the end of – and the beginning of – the day, I’m for freedom. And if you know me in real life at all, you’ve heard me say, “you’re either for freedom or you’re not.”
You’re either for freedom or you’re not
And I mean that. You’re either for freedom or you’re not. There is no except when there’s a pandemic, or except when children are involved, or except when people should know better and not smoke cigarettes, or except when a legal adult wants to do drugs, or except when someone goes against your god or whatever you believe. Freedom isn’t for just when you agree with it, and goes away when you’re scared, or just because it does or does not suit you where you are at the moment. And not because it makes you sad or just doesn’t feel right. Freedom should be all the time, for rational consenting adults. And no that doesn’t mean anarchy – I studied political science and government so don’t try me; I do believe that a society based on free enterprise and freedom-protecting laws is the only thing that pushes humans to do amazing things so no, I’m not an anarchist. But I sure am hell not whatever it is we, as a country, are turning into. Every time I vote I pretty much have to hold my nose because both major sides massively suck. And I mean massively suck. They pick and choose their own freedoms for the greater good and sell us on that. We as a collective go along with it. We gave up a long time ago for the greater good. Me included because I just go along with it and pay taxes for things I don’t agree with and don’t believe in but I still want to live here and so here I am. So here we all are.
That being said, I am not for the greater good. I am for freedom. Where rational consenting adults can do whatever they please, and even get to – and hopefully do – pay the consequences for what they please, if necessary. Because if it infringes on my freedom, guess what? That’s likely already a crime. Could be murder, could be theft, could be assault. It should not be the government jailing me for my speech (because that is protected as most humankind rights should be in a free society), it should not be the State not letting me buy beer at 9:10 AM on a Sunday morning (which is the current idiotic law in Texas…because waiting 50 minutes for 10 AM makes all the difference here, the difference or what I have no idea), should not be the city telling me where I can and can’t smoke on someone’s private property (I don’t smoke, by the way), it could be me deciding to get drunk and drive into a crowd – which would be a few crimes already on the books, it is but should not be the government telling me a thousand things that they already do that are none of their fucking business, that is not why the government was created way back when by those imperfect mostly men who signed all those documents…but here we are where there are a thousand ways to infringe on another individual’s freedom and some of them are voted into law.
Yes that last paragraph was definitely a rant, hopefully you were able to follow along.
Good luck with that
And some people I know cheer those laws or rules that go against freedom, even their own freedom. Because they agree with them, because it makes them feel safer, makes them feel good, makes their kids safer, makes life easier. They are for the greater good. Good luck with that.
If you played it safe in 2022, good for you. I flew to Nepal to trek though the Himalayas. I choose freedom over safety. We are not the same.
I hope I always choose freedom over safety.
Come and take it
Once we give up a little, the government will certainly take a lot. Like they have. And they will likely continue to take. I hope we eventually find a limit. I hope we roll back all kinds of freedom-killing laws and rules and executive orders and ordinances that are none of anyone else’s business. And if chaos ensues or someone gets hurt, then prosecute them for the crime of infringing on that person’s individual freedom. Period. And no, I’m not in favor of going back 500 or 200 or 100 or even 50 years. Start now. With consenting adults who are alive now and deserve the right to live as they see fit. Stay out of my house, stay off my body, stay away from the place I keep my money, my weapons, my birth control, my junk food; stay away from my decision to have or not to have children or health insurance or a vaccine or even wear a seatbelt; stay away from my decision to live being high on drugs, or high on life, travel and knowledge. I choose the latter, by the way.
My life is none of anyone’s business. Unless I force it on you, and well, that wouldn’t be freedom, and then I would have to pay the consequences for that. Or I should. Until then, come and take it.
All my choices, by the way (even the ones you don’t agree with)
Come and take it. My voice, my choice. And I mean all my choices, my choices about just about everything and anything that doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s choices. Even the choices I make that you don’t agree with even if I happen to agree with you on a really important one. Because if it doesn’t concern you, it shouldn’t concern you. That should be what freedom is.
And today, like all days, I’m for freedom. My freedom, and yours.
P.S. And just for fun, this whole rant may just be because I’m a Leo. XO
