Liberty: A Meditation
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The concept of liberty has never been deeply pondered in the psyche of The Lawyer, except in a specific, very legalistic way that would bore the hairs off the heads of most, normal people. Probably the reason I have never paid liberty much attention is a consequence of having been born and raised in these United States of America. I am seeped, dipped, stewed, soaking, marinating and drenched in liberty. I’m like a fish approached from an above-water journalist being asked, “So what do you think about being wet all the time?” “Wet? what are you talking about? What is this ‘wet’ you speak of?”
Shortly after November 4, 2008 and since, I have never heard liberty uttered (and yelled) so often. “Give me liberty, or give me death,” and, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants,” are two phrases and quotes in which I have heard the use of the word, brandished about nilly-willy, as if it were in short supply.
The last I checked, liberty in America is still as plentiful as the water in the sea. I can think anything I want. I can read anything I want. And I can write and say anything I want, so long as it does not involve threatening another person’s well being (as it should be). I can have my hair any way I want. I can dress like I want, as long as my johnson is undercover, which is fine with me. I would feel a little vulnerable parading my tender bits around town. We can do mostly anything we can imagine, so long as it does not violate the criminal codes of the various states and the U.S.
Come to think of it, there are a few laws that do seem to impinge on what, after reasonable and heartfelt consideration, should be an unmolested individual liberty.
Why in the hell, after billions of dollars thrown to the abyss of futility, have we not legalized drugs? There are two groups of people who want possession and distribution of drugs to remain illegal: gangsters and conservatives. In fact, now that I am thinking about it, and by “it,” I mean liberty, the only group that I can see that is a threat to the same is conservatives.
Who else over the years has been as persistent at resisting the bestowing of rights and liberties upon others? Conservatives were against a woman’s right to vote, equal rights for African-Americans, and most recently affordable health care for all. Let’s not forget McCarthyism where it almost became illegal to think certain things and be around certain people. I have a thousand dollars that says, if given the opportunity, the wall between church and state would be blown to oblivion and every Hispanic looking person in the U.S. would be rudely bussed back South of the Rio Grande, if conservatives were given the unmitigated power to rule our lives.
So, how is it that the modern Democratic party is trampling on the far right’s liberties? Not by taking their guns away. Oh, by not agreeing with their pathological, unevolved world view 100%.
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Our liberty in Britain has been substantally curtailed under our Labour govt.
Oddly, it is ‘our’ Conservatives’ who are fighting to retrieve the situation. Mind you, ours aren’t ‘right wingers’ particularly. Only a bit.
They’re moderates, a creature in short supply here in the good ol’ US of A.
Congratulations on your reverie Mr. Lawyer.
Did anyone catch msnbc’s documentary series last night; Who Do You Think You Are? They traveled back with Sarah Jessica Parker. Your commentary has reminded me of it… I have not made a singular study of ‘liberty’ in pursuit of the law or some affiliate career goal… including history teacher. But I’ve pursued it as we all do, in the interests of our own definition of it and I think that’s as good a demonstration of it as there can be.
Great job you’ve done here! examining what you may have misplaced in your heartmind… what strength you might be demonstrating through your application of it… I’d like to think a lot of gentleman are thinking of letting their hair grow once again; yeah, I mean that in the figurative sense, but I adore pirates…so go figure. Women need the inspiration too… gods! How could the likes of Sarah Palin come of all the Liberty we enjoy? We are blessed and cursed with Liberty. An ultimate polarity switch to teach us right from wrong.
🙂
Gangsters and conservatives share so much just like fundie Muslims and fundie Christians.
I’m sick of my liberty to be baked at work being trampled on by The Man.
…The concept of liberty has never been deeply pondered in the psyche of The Lawyer,except in a specific, very legalistic way that would bore the hairs off the heads of most, normal people.
You and my tax attorney wife, our conversations on the subject were very revealing and depressing.
The ones that cry freedom loudest are the ones that want to restrict it the most. Methinks they dost protest a little too much.
And don’t forget the liberty to drive around on a scooter without being openly mocked by your friends….wait….
I agree with all of it. Especially the “abyss of futility” that is the drug war.
The Lawyer is longer in possession of said scooter. Sold it. Between the weather and work I could never use it.
Weather and work, huh? So pride and self-respect never entered into the equation to sell? We all know you’re just to paranoid to ride that thing downtown past the courthouse with all the empty Dewar’s bottles clanking in the saddlebags.
LOL! I’m a Johnny Walker Black kind of guy myself 🙂
That, and I was nervous about all the four-wheeled drivers out there to whom two-wheelers seem absolutely invisible.
To many Repubs, liberty means letting people with money keep as much of their money as possible and do whatever they want with their money (so long as it doesn’t bother social-conservative morality about pleasures of the flesh). It’s liberty for those that have; all others can go pound sand.
A footnote: It’s generally OK for the haves to transgress social-conservative morality as long as the transgressions aren’t out in the open.
A la wide-stanced senators in airport bathrooms.