"Freedom"

This Saturday, the United States will celebrate its Independence Day. Synonyms of the word independence are autonomy, liberty, self-determination and freedom. Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint; the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. It is wonderful to celebrate our freedom, but perhaps we should also be questioning how much freedom do we actually have? We should also question why it is that we try to restrict each other's freedom.

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I believe we all inherently yearn to be free. Free to be ourselves without persecution and free to live our lives as we see fit - as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others. The Declaration of Independence states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Since time eternal, haven't all people desired these rights? I would like to see this statement changed to all humans are created equal or, even better, all beings are created equal. We need to recognize these rights for each other as well as for other species and the planet herself.

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We are all created equal and then society puts us into a category - be it of race, gender, religion and or socioeconomic status. Each category has its own restrictions, limitations and persecutions especially if you are considered to be on the recessive end. Why? Why must we always put someone else down? Why must one group dominate another? We are not born differentiating people in this manner - it's what we learn. Isn't it about time we teach and live by the ideals of acceptance?

One of mankind's biggest downfalls is its focus on dominance instead of harmony. If humankind focused on harmony - the face of this planet would be drastically changed on so many levels. Not only harmony with each other, but with the planet which we live on and with the species we co-habitate with. Just look around at the world, it's very easy to see that DOMINANCE = DESPOTISM = DESTRUCTION. I do not believe that our Creator set the intent that one religion must dominate another, that women are inferior to men, that one color is better than another or that some political group is more right and justified over the other. Maybe it's time we start seeing each other for what we are = human beings; or take it up a notch and see each other for what we truly are - spiritual beings having a human experience.

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Can we truly say we are a free country when sex trafficking is so prevalent? When our corporations source out to countries who treat their workers as slaves? When our freedom of speech is limited to only expressing it if we get a permit or constraining it to the "free speech" zone? When we are forced to hand over so much of our paycheck, yet really have no say in how that money is being spent? When our politicians are just puppets for corporations? When we are forced to participate in a broken health care system and are fined if we choose not to? Some states no longer allow their citizens to collect their own rain water as it's now privatized. Our foods can be covered in a ridiculous amount of toxic chemicals, yet organic farmers have to jump through bureaucratic hoops and pay a huge amount of money to grow food the way farmers have always grown it for centuries. What I've touched on thus far is just the tip of the iceberg. We proudly claim that we are the United States of America - land of the free. I believe that statement no longer holds true. How can we say we are free when there are more and more laws being passed which in turn are limiting our freedoms, but are disguised as being in the interest of our safety and security?

Continuing from The Declaration of Independence:
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. This is something to keep in mind. When government no longer acts in the interest of the people, for the people or by the people - it's time for a change and it is up to each and every one of us to create that change. We are not a democracy (we actually never have been), but our government has become a corpocracy - a government for the corporations by the corporations.

We are a melting pot of cultures. We have an inherent love for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Many come to this country to achieve the "American Dream." I would venture a guess that the vast majority of us would do our part to help someone in need no matter their race, gender, religion or creed. If we could all learn acceptance and harmony - this country would truly be great -  just like the founding father's envisioned it to be. 

In FREEDOM - Adrienne :)