August 9, 2017

Power and Control

By Tammy Derouin

We have reached a disturbing time in our history, a time where many people are simply content being deceived. It's easier to be fed lies rather than search out or demand the truth. The evidence is very obvious which is why the Left continues to grow, causing more harm to our country.

As an American, I value my rights and the rights of other Americans to speak their minds, even if I do not agree with them. That's a very important issue these days. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to speak, but only if you support one particular party or some sort of politically approved social agenda.

I would much rather know how someone thinks or feels rather than constantly second guess the motives behind their words or actions. A socialist, communist, or a supporter of Sharia Law has definite beliefs. Understanding those beliefs are crucial to our survival. Of course, in today's world, the evils of these ideologies are not being taught. Such beliefs favor extensive government control in every aspect of our life. Those who support Sharia are anti-female, anti-gay and just plain anti-freedom in general. It's amazing how many females refuse to take a closer look at Islam. Ignorance will not be bliss.

The citizens in these types of heavily controlled, political ideologies become prisoners. Freedom and self-reliance are not valued. If people truly understood what they were welcoming, they would be slamming on the breaks and going into full reverse. The Constitution would be dusted off and they would be clinging to it as if their life depended on it, and in many ways, it does.

This is why freedom of speech is so important. Individuals calling for or thinking that socialism, communism and Sharia aren't so bad, need to be countered with facts. You either favor a high level of government control, which would greatly limit or eliminate your freedoms, or you do not understand the damage that has been done by allowing such ideologies into our way of life. Supporting an ideology without understanding it, undermines you as an individual and our nation as a whole. Supporting something that will ultimately destroy you is foolish. But, until individuals are willing to seek the truth, they are unwittingly destroying themselves and the rest of the country.

Freedom of speech, the ability to believe what you want to believe, is a basic human right; a right which is acknowledged in our Bill of Rights and protect by our Constitution. If you were blessed to have been born in the United States, this is all you know. It has become too easy to take our freedoms for granted. If we do not protect our rights and freedoms, we could very easily lose them. This is why it's so frustrating to see so many Americans, including many of our elected officials, welcoming anti-American beliefs. They either do not understand that such beliefs destroy freedom or they are actually working to destroy the American way of life. Either way, they are putting our rights on the chopping block.

The freedom we have to voice our opinion is being destroyed by the inability or lack of desire by so many Americans to check out the facts. It's bothersome to see and hear comments by individuals who will yell and scream that they are informed because they watch the news. The mainstream media is not newsworthy. Mainstream media junkies are convinced that they are well informed. They've been sucking down the juice for so long that they have not noticed that the formula has changed. It's like trying to pull an empty bottle out of the mouth of a baby. They're only sucking down air, no substance. But, that's what they want. That's what makes them happy. Eventually, reality will catch up with them. The delusion does come to an end and usually that's where the wailing begins.

It's so sad to see so many Americans not taking the time to look up the facts. They are content with the lies and deceit. How many lies, how many far-fetched stories does it take before you begin to question the integrity of those who were supposed to defend and protect our country? Nobody likes to be lied to and certainly nobody wants to admit that they've been conned. But, the sooner people wipe the sleep from their eyes and get their own bottle of substance, the sooner we can get back on the path to freedom and independence.

Unless people want to know the truth, they will be content having someone else feed them and provide all of their needs. A baby crib has bars for a reason. Most strive to get out of the crib, not find ways to be imprisoned.

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”

Benjamin Franklin