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Freedom
In the United States all we ever hear about is freedom. We are told we have a right to this and that type of freedom. But, do we really have any freedom at all. In order to understand this we need to know what freedom really is.
Ask your friends what freedom is and you will find a universal response, freedom is the ability to do whatever we want to do whenever we want. Then ask your friend if he has freedom, and he will say yes, of course, I can do whatever I want. Now, you need to ask your friend what he wants to do in order to exercise his freedom. Can he play football for the 49ers? Can he drill for oil in his backyard? Can he quit his job and travel the world? Can he get fools to send him their money? Can he walk down the street nude? What does this freedom pertain to?
American society has created an elaborate web of laws and social norms that control what we are allowed to do. These laws and social norms put limitations on our freedom. Then how does American society differ from other countries? We freely give up so many freedoms. So, which freedoms are we worried about loosing?
If we put this in perspective, then the only freedom that really matters is the freedom to change the restrictions on our lives. We pass laws and restrictions in order to make life easier in general. These laws and restrictions limit our freedom, but we give up our freedom in favor of having a society we want to live in. In addition to written law we have social law, which is an implied law which effects us just the same. Social law is subtle, because these restrictions are based on cultural norms. We don’t chew our food loudly. We don’t fart indiscriminately. We don’t write ‘fart’ in the newspaper. There are no laws about these actions, but our freedom is limited none-the-less through social norms.
Social norms change when different cultures merge. For example, the culture of high tech cell phones users is beginning to impact the general public. Some people may choose to preserve social norms by passing laws such as fining people who talk loudly on cell phones in public places. Or, others may choose to be scornful of cell phone users by giving dirty looks. At some point the balance of social and legal restrictions will control our freedom.
The most ironic time in American History concerning freedom must have been the 1950s and 1960s. One segment of society fought vigorously to protect American Freedom from Communism by trying to control freedom of expression. Communism was a threat to those who had established themselves with cash and property. Those who wanted to talk about the inherent unfairness in the unequal distribution of wealth and power were restricted from expressing themselves. The argument was that communism would take away your freedom. At the same time social norms pertaining to drugs and sex began to change. Likewise, the same segment of society fought to restrict sex outside of marriage or drug use, although they stood for American freedom.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Internet is here. People have begun to express themselves online and there are those who would wish this free speech restricted. The Internet by its nature is a Hydra, and for each decapitation there are three more heads grown. So, maybe we still have a chance to preserve American Freedom. Perhaps the Internet will be the answer. The Internet will enable many more people to voice their opinions and drive the conversation in directions that are not favored by the established social norms. The Internet could become the tool to provide a voice for those who don’t have the cash. HollisterNews.com is our effort to be this voice.
Michael Forbush8-8-99
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