Over the past few months it has become increasingly and painfully clear to me that a majority of Americans don’t really want to be free. I know it’s a profound statement to make, but in my view it’s 100% true.
How this happened is beyond me. Perhaps the government’s use of the overton window concept has successfully pushed the perceived view of liberty into a a time where it now means something completely different to most people. Perhaps American society has just become too distracted by cat videos, reality TV, sports and irrelevant news consumption. Or maybe the deliberately destroyed economy has forced us into a world of dependency that has changed the common view of liberty. Or, perhaps it’s all of the above.
But the truth is most Americans don’t want to be free.
I don’t make such a claim lightly. And I know there are still many of us who believe in the true meaning of freedom. But, unfortunately, in the grand scheme of things we’re quickly becoming vastly outnumbered. Republicans, Democrats, Conservatives, Liberals, Independents… it doesn’t matter. I can easily find people of all political backgrounds that have no clue what liberty really is, and they’ll all subscribe to various forms of tyranny without even knowing it.
To give you an example (One of many) let’s consider unconstitutional domestic immigration checkpoints found up to 100 miles from US borders. The 4th Amendment could not possibly be more clear.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
This is the only text that should and can be referenced when it comes to searches and/or seizures of your private documents or property. It doesn’t matter what any court says. It doesn’t matter what any ordinance says. It does matter what any lawmaker or attorney believes. The 4th Amendment is the law of the land. And the 4th Amendment does not describe what government can do. It describes what government cannot do.
In short, you cannot be searched or have your property seized without probable cause. Period.
Yet there are now countless “checkpoints” on American soil where innocent American citizens are stopped, questioned, searched and yes, have their property seized for no reason at all. I don’t have to list examples here. You know how to use Google and/or Youtube. It’s not at all difficult to find a plethora of examples of this happening.
One of the most common instances of this occurs when an American citizen utilizes their 4th amendment right at one of these checkpoints. Any American has every right to refuse to be questioned or searched at a federal (or state) checkpoint. Yet, doing so is one of the quickest ways to end up in handcuffs, possibly being tased for refusing to comply and having your private vehicle seized (forcefully placed in control of federal agents) and searched. All because you refused to comply with an unconstitutional demand.
Either we’re free or we’re not. Either we can say “no you cannot question me or detain me, or search my vehicle without probable cause” or we cannot. It’s one or the other.
Now when I’ve written about this on my 50,000+ fan Facebook page I’ve seen countless comments from self-proclaimed “conservatives” with comments like “Just answer the questions and you’ll have no issues.” Or “she was being rude and she deserved what she got.” Or “that person was just trying to get a viral youtube video.”
Guess what? It doesn’t matter why. The 4th amendment is not void the second someone becomes rude or starts a video camera.
Another example is seatbelt and cell phone laws. If I had a dime for every time a “conservative” proudly supported seatbelt or cell phone laws I would have a much nicer home in a better neighborhood.
Is it true that seat belts can save your life? Sure. Is it true that using a hands free device for your phone while driving can make you safer? Of course. But now you have no choice. You cannot choose to drive without a seatbelt. The freedom to choose the level of risk you take for yourself has been completely removed. You are not free to choose, and there for you are not free.
I’ve heard all the tiresome arguments about this. I’ve heard the proclamations that it’s all for protection and public safety. I get it. But if that’s the argument you make when it comes to seat belts, you could then apply that argument to just about anything. Like, for example, using crosswalks. I mean, what happens when a drunk driver runs a red light and hits a pedestrian? Shouldn’t we ban the use of crosswalks?
Or how about snow skiing? It can be incredibly dangerous and people are killed on the slopes every year. Ban snow skiing for crying out loud!
You see, freedom includes free choice. You choose what level of risk you want to take in life. And by doing so you also choose to take responsibility for the consequences.
I wear a seatbelt not because it’s the law, but because I believe it makes me safer. I choose not to sky dive or bungy jump because I believe it too high of a risk. But if you want to drive without a seatbelt or jump out of a plane, hey… that’s on you. Or, at least, it should be if we’re truly free.
Another example is gun laws. People believe the 2nd amendment is still alive and well. Hogwash. The 2nd amendment is violated each and every day. The 2nd amendment, in my view, is dead. While it should be the law of the land, it is not.
The 2nd amendment, like the 4th, does not describe what government can do. It describes what government can’t do. And no where does the 2nd amendment say you must request for permission to carry a firearm and then pay a tax to obtain permission to do so.
Concealed carry permits are unconstitutional. The 2nd amendment does not say you have a right to keep and bear arms provided you pay a tax and get the government’s permission. It says you have a right to keep and bear arms. Period.
I live in Chicago. My state is run by communists who could not care less about the constitution. Did you know that if you are not an Illinois resident and you do not have an Illinois FOID (Firearm Owner Identification) card you cannot legally have a firearm in the state? Not in a case, not locked up, broken down and in your trunk. Not at all (Unless you can prove you’re just passing through within a 24 hour period).
So according to Illinois, you have no 2nd amendment right if you’re not an Illinois resident but on Illinois soil. According to Illinois, you have no 2nd amendment right as a state resident unless you register with the state and acquire a permit to have a firearm. And the permit itself does not “allow” you to keep and bear arms. That requires more money, more permissions and is heavily regulated.
In other words, it doesn’t matter if you’re an Illinois resident or not. If you’re a resident of ANY state in the Republic you simply cannot keep and bear arms in Illinois without Illinois ID and permission from the state to own a firearm.
But as is the case with checkpoints and seatbelts, most Americans will stand with the false idea that concealed carry permits and background checks are for the good of the public. Translation, you’re not free to keep and bear arms unless you pay for permission and are granted it by government.
Or what about owning/running a private business? Can you imagine what the founders would have thought of the notion that in order to sell corn to your neighbor you need to file paperwork to form a business entity, request a business license from your city, pay for the license once it’s granted, file with environmental regulatory bodies and be open to inspections of your product to ensure it is safe to consume?
Oh, but it’s for the good of the public, right?
Or how about interstate commerce. Want to purchase insurance from the next state over to get a better deal? Not going to happen. Want to drive across state lines to by a couple cartons of cigarettes to avoid the high taxes of tobacco in your state? Don’t get caught doing it.
I could go on and on and on. The list would take me days to compile. But you get the idea.
We’re not a free country. We don’t have the freedom of choice. We don’t get to decide how we live our lives. The government makes those decisions.
And I guarantee you that if I went out and interviewed 100 random Americans about the above violations of liberty there would easily be 7 out of 10 who are perfectly fine with checkpoints, seatbelt laws, concealed carry permits, EPA regulations and more. No matter what the political affiliation is.
Land of the free? Nope. Not even close. Land of people who somehow believe they are free even though they aren’t? Absolutely.
And we wonder why our world gets worse every day…
You’re not free. And you’re not free because a majority of Americans don’t really want you to be.
-Eric Odom