The Freedom Factor

Every day we are exposed to new and pressing crises, each of which is characterized as an emergency requiring immediate and often drastic measures to address. Washington has become akin to an assembly-line, spewing out the latest in an ongoing series of social problems, any of which could mean - if you believe the federal regulators and controlled media - catastrophic disaster for all Americans, unless government agencies step in and lend their unique presence to the problem, resulting, of course, in the only available solution.

We are constantly inundated with news of a terrible crime problem, the horrific effects of drug abuse requiring the ongoing War on Drugs, the doomed to fail War on Poverty, the horrible diseases to which we are all at risk, unless we first obtain protection from government vaccinations, the problems inherent in the government-run school system, and of course, the ever-present threat of terrorism. We are told that these problems are a part of civilized society, and that government is charged with protecting the people and so must do whatever is necessary to eradicate these and other social ills.

However, the legislators, administrators, bureaucrats and regulators never discuss the cost to our freedoms that result from the implemention of their "corrective" programs. If we are to come to a thoughtful and intelligent conclusion as to whether these programs - individually or collectively - are worthwhile, we must contrast the benefits they provide with the costs they incur. Only in this way can we make reasonable decisions concerning how we wish to be governed (remember, the united States of America is founded on the principle of self-governance).

In order to properly determine the value of these critical elements concerning our social structure, I believe it is necessary that we weigh the cost of each and every regulation, statute, ordinance, resolution, and law, to our most valuable and celestial possession, our freedom. I call this evaluation the Freedom Factor.

If we design a chart or graph to track the Freedom Factor, then apply the principles of regulatory control to the chart, we will come to a definitive and much more accurate conclusion as to the value of government programs and regulations to our society. It is essential that we immediately begin doing this, in order to preserve the freedoms which our Founding Fathers bestowed on us and our posterity.

For example, what is the impact on our individual freedoms if, say, government soldiers forcibly take away the guns which Americans have rightfully owned and borne since our country's birth? History shows us that a people disarmed are a people enslaved. So we may safely say that the Freedom Factor, when applied to this proposed activity, reflects a complete sacrifice of our freedom; that is a cost too great to justify any so-called "benefits."

What about government education? We have been told by judges that placing our children into government school means that we give up our parental rights to raise them! Government schools have metal detectors, police, teachers being trained to fingerprint students, calls for students to wear bullet-proof clothing, incompetent teachers assigning our children to write about committing suicide or murder, etc. These actions, requirements and programs are reportedly there to make our schools safer and therefore help our children to better learn their lessons. But at what cost? Is it worth turning our schools and children into mindless, obedient tools of a socialist structure, in order to accomplish... anything at all? Is it worth turning our schools into military-like institutions, with the same kinds of restrictions that we have in our airports? Is it worth it? I don't think so. How about you?

Crime prevention is one of the top political issues today, for both liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. It's a popular and seldom opposed position - that we want to combat crime. But what are our government servants proposing in order to address the terrible crime problem that exists in our country? For that matter, do we really have a terrible crime problem?

The solutions always offered are to hire more police and build more prisons. More police - especially more police trained to violate the rights of the people in the name of generating revenue and maintaining order and control - means more restrictions on the freedom of the people. This has always been the case, throughout modern civilization and in every society for which we have records. More police equals more restrictions on freedom. Is it worth it? I don't think so. Do you?

The United States federal government has taken it upon themselves to define what is and is not a crime, in direct violation of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the natural rights of the people to due process of law. Under American common law, which is the foundation of all legitimate laws in our country, there can be no crime without there first being a corpus delicti (damaged party). Yet, the Bureau of Prisons acknowledges that almost 75% of the prison population is in jail for "victimless crimes." See, the government makes something like marijuana illegal. There are 140 million Americans who smoke marijuana. Therefore, the federal government has created, with the stroke of a pen, 140 million "criminals." Now they can tell us that we have a "terrible crime problem" requiring drastic measures to combat. These measures out of necessity encroach upon our freedom, causing the chart graphing the Freedom Factor to take a severe downturn. Is it worth it? I don't think so. Do you?

The below chart outlines the Freedom Factor over the course of our country's history. Make note that either extreme - complete freedom or complete order - is undesirable. Our Founding Fathers established a system which would maximize freedom; this state exists while the graph line remains close to the center of the graph. The more it rises or falls from the center line, the less ideal for the people.

 

You will notice that the Freedom Factor took a severe downturn during the War Between the States, when the federal government usurped authority over the states. It took another downturn in 1913, with the signing of the Federal Reserve Act. It took another downturn in 1933, when FDR illegally declared a state of emergency and thereby created the so-called, unconstitutional and unauthorized "alphabet agencies." It took another severe downturn when Bill Clinton took office. If an emergency exists in this country, it is that the Freedom Factor is plummeting to depths lower than ever before in the history of the united States of America.

It is time for Americans to wake up from their complacency. Ronald Reagan said that if you are afraid of taking a stand because you are concerned about how your business associates will regard you, or that you may lose friends, or gain enemies, or be hassled by government agents, then you are just "feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last." It's time NOW - not tomorrow or next week or next month or next year - to stand up and say NO to any encroachments on your freedom, regardless of the promised "benefits." Freedom is never to be taken lightly. Government exists to protect - not regulate - our natural rights. Stand up and be counted as an American who will not give up any of your freedoms, ever. Winston Churchill said, "It is better to perish than to live as slaves." Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" What will you say? What will you do?