Is Too Much Freedom a Thing?
This is the @ecotrain question of the week.
Bearing in mind the health and state of western culture and society, do you think we have too much freedom?
As usual, @eco-alex has brought us a big question with a lot to think about.
One of my favorite quotes about freedom comes from Ben Franklin. He may or may not have meant it as it has been used. It would appear he was actually talking about taxes, but we will just roll with it.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Now, I have used this quote a lot about social issues, immigration, etc., but do I wholeheartedly endorse it? Hmmm. I'm not so sure. Should corporations be free to pollute? Am I willing to trade others’ liberty for clean water? I kinda am. I'm slowly shifting to Anarchy, but there are places where it's hard. True and complete freedom requires we trust each other. I trust some but not everyone. Of course we could perhaps put clean air and water under the “Your rights end where my nose begins.”
I sometimes wonder how certain folks sleep at night. Like those who run Nestle, those deeply enmeshed in the military industrial complex, and police who kill people for no reason and then get off free just for starters. How do people responsible for the deaths of innocents sleep? Should they be free? Can we trust them? Honestly they already are free in a certain way. They are above the law - above consequences. Now, I happen to think they are morally and spiritually chained, but I think we are talking about physical freedom here.
It's really the rest of us that aren't free. From Utah Phillips:
Aww judge, your damn laws. The good people don't need em, and the bad people don't obey em, so what use are they anyway?
Those of us taking responsibility for our action are unlikely to actually cause the major problems in the first place. Do you really skip out on murder just because it's illegal? This is the other thing I wonder about the people I consider monsters. How did they end up that way? They weren't born like that. That's for damn sure. I've never met a racist, murderous, vengeful baby. It's not a thing.
Oh, shocker! It comes back to education and sacred parenting.
And here I think we find a more viable solution. Children have almost zero freedom, and sometimes the outcome of that is really, really awful. My sense is that children who grew up free to pursue their interests in a loving environment would never ever end up CEO of Nestle or killing someone for the color of their skin. If we want respectful adults we can trust, we must trust our children to be free. Donald Trump’s parents were awful, awful people. Even he wasn't born like that.
Now, legal freedom isn't the only thing going. I mentioned spiritual freedom above, but I think that's an inside job, and I want to stick with things involving interdependence.
Today they say that we are free, only to be chained in poverty.
~The Honorable Robert Nesta Marley
There are systems, structures, and institutions set up that keep people of color, women, and poor people down and in “their place.” Those structures also keep those at the top on top. These chains have yet to be broken, and when this freedom comes, I think it will make more positive difference than anything else. Democratic education will be a significant piece of this. Deconstructing that shit show is gonna take some time though.
I'm not really sure I have answered the question here, mostly because I don't know if I have it answered in my head. It scares the crap out of me to think of letting go of all law, but I feel pretty certain more law would not help. After all, the monsters aren't following it anyway.
One thing is for certain, though. Kids need more freedom. They need to be trusted to explore the world so they will know how to handle it when they are adults.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Do check out @ecotrain! It's a wonderful community full of love, passion, and excellent writers.
Much love, y’all!
As always, all pics are mine or pixabay unless otherwise noted.
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To the question in your title, my Magic 8-Ball says:
Hi! I'm a bot, and this answer was posted automatically. Check this post out for more information.
Freedom is to have a clear conscience, to be able to go out and know that nobody is going to point out, that you can have your forehead very high.
To be free is to sleep peacefully every night.
Thank you for this. What a beautiful definition of freedom!
"....It scares the crap out of me to think of letting go of all law, but I feel pretty certain more law would not help. After all, the monsters aren't following it anyway." And yet here you are on the free-ish steemit blockchain. :) Yes, trusting our children to explore the world whilst still shielding them enough to keep them safe and sane is DEFINITELY where it's at!
Letting people loose on the blockchain is one thing. It's letting them loose with guns and chemicals that scares me! In the end, I don't think we have a choice, though. Anarchy is definitely the end game.
For sure it's all about kids and parenting and education which is why it upsets me so that we don't ensure parents have all they need to succeed.
Now see I think letting people loose with ideas is the same as guns and chemicals. Sama-Same but Different, as they like to say here in Thailand. One is simply the extrapolation of the other. But without the ideas, there ARE no guns or chemicals, or no people to hate. So the real power lies here - on steemit - to allow & facilitate the healthy creative anarchical flow of ideas to burble and flourish. :)
Mmmm. What a delicious distinction. Indeed thoughts become things. This is exactly why it's so important to raise kids in an aware, thoughtful, and free way so we never have to get to hate in the first place.
I absolutely agree with you on nurture being the important factor here, it is not the only factor but definitely one of the bigger ones. Children are like little cute monkeys and what monkey sees, monkey does. We teach with our actions, not with our words and a lot of parents seem to forget that. This was a lovely read, thank you sharing your words with us 💚
It really is so important. We have to really let them be free, not just tell them so. And like you said, they learn from our actions. We have to be free too.
Thanks so much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it!