Liberty and Freedom are two of the most important and valued things possessed by an American citizen. And if enemies of our great nation, be they foreign or home grown, attempted to take away all of these wonderful freedoms that our founders and service members fought so hard to put in place and retain all at once, we as Americans would surely rise up and fight fiercely to protect them. But when the freedom to choose, even for the smallest things, is methodically and slowly being chipped away, it’s less obvious and therefore seems less urgent.
In some cities around the country, those in charge, and often well meaning, have attempted with some success to ban large servings of soda, salt served with dinner in restaurants and even whole milk at times, because someone or some group feels that since they deem it to be unhealthy, they have the right to prohibit everyone else from consuming it.
Locally, we’re now told we should no longer be allowed to carry our groceries in plastic bags. And oh so socially-conscious townships banned their residents from buying water in plastic bottles. While many support this, it still follows a pattern of eliminating one’s personal choices. Taxes, fines and fees are being added to and or raised on a growing number of items such as parking and done so gradually so as not to cause too much anger. Freedom of speech is being restricted on college campuses because some find it offensive. Someone doesn’t like a statue, it must come down.
A sign near Fenway Park becomes an issue to some, so the street must be renamed and on and on it goes until one day, we no longer live in the ‘Land of the Free’ and future generations will not even know what individual freedom and liberty even was. With each new law passed, every additional restriction and regulation imposed, we get closer to that day unless we the people say it ends here and now.
