November 7, 2012

Freedom or Servitude?

By Tammy Derouin

As I write this column there are only a few days before the election.  I ponder the future of America.  Will the people choose freedom or servitude?  Did the people truly have a voice or will the nation be dealing with voter fraud?  No other president in American History would have survived the corruption that has taken place in the Obama administration.  The corruption in the DOJ alone should have sent many packing a long time ago.  The lies and deceit is staggering and that’s before you factor in the Benghazi cover-up.   Will there be peace or chaos?

I hope we decided to opt for freedom over servitude.  I hope the people of this nation will decide that we cannot endorse a president who will blatantly lie to us, about everything.  I hope capitalism and the free market system will win.  Four years ago I would have never thought I’d be wondering if Americans would willingly cheer away their freedoms.  The Left is very good at taking advantage of a crisis.  How will they change the story to fit their agenda?  Will Americans finally see the truth even without the help of the press?

America is not the same country I was blessed to be born in.  Every generation has its struggles and hardships.  Once we work through them we emerged as a stronger nation.  Regardless of our struggles, we have always stayed true to the American way of life.  Are we willing to throw that away?  Or will enough Americans begin to see past the smoke and mirrors?  It’s a horrible discovery when you realize how close America is teetering on the edge of a cliff.  The America I was born into was a world leader.  Americans were proud to be Americans, no apology needed.  Americans wouldn’t even entertain the thought of someone considering socialism or communism.  Today it’s cool.  In today’s world, many young Americans prefer socialism over capitalism.  That’s outrageous to me.  What kind of history, economics and social studies has our government been teaching to brainwash our children?     

I was recently reminded of a time when I had very little personal freedom.  It wasn’t until I was completely out of the situation that I realized how much I had lost.  I was unhappy for a very long time but I was never able to figure out why.  Everything seemed fine on the surface.  I lived a moderately comfortable life.  Everything I needed to exist was available.  The one thing I needed to live, personal freedom, was not.  What I endured to exist was not worth the safety net.

Freedom is a precious gift.  Personal freedom and the freedom of a nation are very similar, especially when one wishes to limit your freedom.  The loss of liberty happens slowly over time.  You probably don’t even know it has happened until it is too late or when you try to do something on your own.  Encroaching on liberty requires fines.  No one will willingly walk into a prison.  Over time, man’s desire to control man, is wrapped up in a nice pretty package.  This is true at the personal and national level.  It is slowly accepted based on very basic principles, safety and security.  Those that wish to limit freedom will use phrases such as, “for your protection” or “for your own good.”  In small doses it seems harmless.  It may even be welcomed.  Nobody wants to be in danger or live in fear. 

Little by little, what once seemed harmless, has fundamentally transformed your life.  Your privacy is gone.  Every move you make is tracked electronically.  Your conversations, mail, purchases and your exact location are being watched.  You are guilty until proven innocent.  The truth no longer matters because you no longer matter.  Personal or national liberties are destroyed the same way.

A narcissist can do no wrong.  The blame will never be theirs.  They are always right.  Evidence that should incriminate will somehow disappear or be white-washed to make them shine.  Someone with so much power is capable of writing or rewriting the facts as they see fit.  History will change to benefit their future.

That prison you would have never agreed to enter, you just walked into willingly and of your own accord.  Safety and security didn’t improve, it got much worse.  The one that was supposed to protect and keep you safe now holds the key to your prison cell.  As the door slams shut your jailer walks away laughing.  You just lost your freedom and you willingly gave it away.  Some may have even cheered, “Yes you can.”    

“If you want total security, go to prison.  There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on.  The only thing lacking…is freedom.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower