Freedom, What Freedom?
Tue, Apr 22, 2008How far will we go to let the government interject into our lives? I thought America and its laws were based on FREEDOM. Daily it seems that those freedoms are violated by none other than our American Government. The foundation of our country and its laws are based on the morals and values of religion and the main base of individual freedom. I am assuming that our government officials forgot about the Revolutionary War. Since when is freedom of religion or freedom of speech only allowed when the government thinks its appropriate. Other American citizens have joined this prude way of thinking, we have become a country that is more concerned with image than individual rights.
A perfect example of these freedoms being violated is the Texas Polygamous Sect Story. Although I would not necessarily agree with the lifestyle of this religious group, they have rights too. Yes they have more than one wife and maybe have sex with underage children, but that is their religious belief. Who are we to judge what is right to believe in? We have underage pregnancy in this country on a daily basis, why is it frowned upon more when the man is 60 instead of 16. From what I have read these children are brought up in that society not knowing a lot of the “outside world”. That is their culture, what they are taught, why would you rip them from everything they know and are safe with because YOU THINK something they would be better off. Well I live in this “outside world” and I find it hard to believe that these children are going to be better off after all this is over. The government went into this ranch on a “unfounded allegation” with guns blazing, ripping children from their homes and flat out lying to the adults. Should we be proud of this?
The government now has these children held in a coliseum and only the ones under four have been allowed to see their mothers. The “Judge” has ordered DNA testing on over 400 children, claiming they need it to investigate the abuse allegations. Last time I checked DNA can only be used for proof of abuse if testing in a “rape” situation. The only thing the Government will prove is who are the parents of these children and if their mother is underage. In my opinion the Government has caused more harm to these children then their parents in any situation. We now have over 400 children that will be torn from their families and placed in the “outside world” because the Government thinks they know what is best for them.
I wanted to touch a little bit on the Freedom of Speech which is another dying freedom. I could use many examples in this, but the most talked about controversy this week was Bill Maher and The Pope. If you haven’t heard Bill Maher accused The Pope of being a Nazi this week on his show. Again I do not agree with what Bill Maher said, but isn’t it his right to say it. Every one is blasting him for it and I can understand that, but why should he apologize and why should there be talk about taking him off the air. It was his opinion, if you are offended DON’T LISTEN!
Kudos to a little church in Jonesville, S.C. for using their freedom of speech and sticking to it.
Pastor Roger Byrd said
he just wanted to make people think when he put up a sign reading “Obama, Osama — humm, are they brothers” in front of the Jonesville Church of God on Thursday.
This may be extreme, but you know it has been in the minds of many American people. I am not saying its right, but it is an issue that “everyone” in the media seems to be ignoring. The congregation of Pastor Byrd’s church voted unanimously Sunday to keep the sign up. Good for them to sticking to Freedom of Speech and Religion!
DruU says:
Apr. 22, 2008
The American Public is raised to believe that we are a free society. I joined the military and volunteered to protect that freedom. I was sent to other countries where supposedly, “Freedom is a Dream”
I learned a lot on those trips. Americans will hold on to the beautiful thought of freedom and compared to a lot of other places we are more free, but Americans turn their back on freedom when it does not suit them.
Since my work with http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/ I have learned even more about the lack of freedom. The fact that a Doctor locally has lost his licence because he recomended Marijuana for a person as medication is unbelievable.
This is a decision Doctors need to make not the government. You throw a group of doctors together to make decisions on my health I will agree with it, but if you thow a group of Politicians together to make that decision and it is different from the Doctors I will ignore the Politicians.
Unfortunatly, Most people will not fight for what they believe in and most will give up. When Advocating for what you believe in there are a lot of times you get frustrated thinking that you are going to lose the battle and question the need to keep fighting. America was founded on the freedom to fight for your beliefs, Fight for them, don’t back down, AND DON’T GIVE UP!!!
Chad & Stacey says:
Apr. 22, 2008
Well said as always Dru. We all must fight or nothing will ever change. The government has way to much control over our lives and the worse part is they think they know what is best for us.
unknown says:
Apr. 22, 2008
I thought that the dna was being done to help find out what children belong to what parent.seeing that there do not even know that. There could be having sex with there own daughter. what a shame. it is not what there belive. but just brain washed. when thing get clear maybe than the children can go home. but the young girls will still being having sex with older guys and having babies. there have a small home just as a sex house. something needed to be done.. I myself think there did the right thing. well for now.
Chad & Stacey says:
Apr. 23, 2008
Thank you unknown for your opinion. Yes the DNA is being used to determine parentage, but they also specifically stated it would be used to investigate abuse.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t agree with “how these children are raised” my point was individual freedoms and the lack thereof. I do not believe the government will ever let these children back in their home at least not the girls, which displaces a lot of families. Why does the government look at it differently when an older man gets a teenage girl pregnant versus a teenage boy getting a teenage girl pregnant?
There have been a lot of accusations during this investigation, but we must remember one basic right we have as Americans “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law” .
Dru’s New World » Blog Archive » You can teach a man to fish… says:
Apr. 25, 2008
[…] has the same goal as you and trust them 100% of the time. The other day I read an article from Boiled Over and it got me a little upset again. I am very involved in certain issues that are pretty political […]
diva102 says:
Apr. 25, 2008
Let me get this straight….you’re saying that based on their religous freedoms, they’re allowed to RAPE CHILDREN?! That raid is NOT about Religous freedom, it is about raping and abusing children. These old men force themselves on teenaged girls and force young men out of their community so the young girls won’t fall in love with them. Read Carolyn Jessop’s Biogrphy, “Escape.” It’ll give you more insight as to what goes on in those polygomous families.
Chad & Stacey says:
Apr. 25, 2008
diva102,
No I was not saying that they should be allowed to rape children. I do not know a lot about polygamous families and what goes on in those ranches, my point was that the government had one allegation from one person. The FBI went in with guns pointed at these children, they lied to the mothers and then took 400 children and placed them in an environment which is completely foreign to them. Yes, the ranch should be investigated, but it could have been much better handled for the sake of the children.
There are other people in this world that have beliefs similar to the people on the ranch. Young girls are groomed to be “good” wives, mothers and often put into arraigned marriages due to their beliefs or cultures. The majority of this country does not believe in that, so they automatically think of abuse. Like I said I do not agree at all with what is alleged against these girls, but it is the culture of the ranch.
I am sure what I have said probably did not come across the right way, but my heart is breaking for these kids and their mothers being ripped apart and lied too. I believe you are innocent until proven guilty and everything that has gone on are only allegations at this point.
unknown says:
Apr. 26, 2008
sometimes you can not wait to be proven quilty. all of them kids should of been taken before this. we are only hearing some of the bad storys. my GOD.. some of them girls are so young. i can not even think of some old man having sex with a little girls. some thing had to be done and the govem did just that. sometime the govem can be wrong and alot of times there are. but in this case there did what there had to do and when things are taken care of some of the kids will go back. i think that the motheres and fathers should live in hell for awile just like the young kids did. YOU DO NOT TOUCH YOUNG CHILDREN NO MATTER WHAT YOUR BELIEFS ARE. THAT HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY WAY TO MUCH NOW..and there did not take guns in pointing at children.
Chad & Stacey says:
Apr. 28, 2008
unknown,
Wow, I would just like to say that I am not promoting or agreeing with the alleged abuse these girls went through. It is simply about freedoms and the governments over running of those freedoms. The FBI did go in with a fully armed SWAT team with guns pointed at everyone, that is straight from an FBI statement and also from an interview I watched with three of the mothers. The point was there were better ways to handle the raid. Think about the kids that maybe did not suffer any abuse and only knew a loving family home, now they have this experience that will forever stick with them. You said that “we are hearing only some of the bad stories” Stories being the keyword. The media tends to take anything they hear and distort it into a huge story, until it comes directly from evidence or the children nothing should be talked about like it happened for sure.
I am not a big fan of any media news source, they are all out for a “shocking good” news story. They distorted the facts and the evidence when our son was killed and now anyone who talks about that day says it was Dustin’s fault. The news portrayed it that way before they even removed his body from the road, not going on facts or evidence just assumptions.
Kelly says:
May. 14, 2008
I agree, totally. The government takes more and more rights away from us every day. All we are to them is walking wallets, tiny cogs in the big machine.