WITH
FREEDOM COMES CHOICES, WITH CHOICES COMES RESPONSIBILTY
By
Chuck Jackson
This
is what freedom is all about:
“… the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member
of a civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own
good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot
rightfully be compelled to do or to forbear because it will be better for him
to do so, because it will make him happier, because in the opinions of other to
do so would be wise or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating
with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not
for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil in case he do otherwise.”
--John Stuart Mill, On Liberty [1859]
We live in a country where millions died for you and I to have freedom.
One must always remember that freedom was and is not free; it was bought with
blood.
I am tired of the “elitist’s” trying to tell us what we can or cannot
do. That blood that was shed for their freedom was also shed for ours. There
are things in this life that we should or should not do; but with freedom to
make choices comes the freedom to suffer the consequences.
We the people are not getting, or else we are choosing to ignore the
information given to make informed choices. If it is a matter of not getting
the information to make an informed choice then this becomes an “educational”
issue: (when people cannot read the information this is a schooling issue). If
people are ignoring the information given to make an informed decision, they
should be free to suffer the consequences. In some circles this is known as
owning up to our responsibilities. Sometimes this is not pretty.
Being a parent is more involved then making babies. Sometimes parents
need to pay attention to what their kids are doing instead of abdicating
responsibility (what a concept).
Let’s take smoking for instance (which taxpayers subsidize). There has
been a written warning on the side of each pack of cigarettes for over 30
years, with people fighting the cigarette industry over the health risks of
smoking longer then that. If a person freely chooses to smoke because he or she
wants to be “cool” or whatever, it is their problem because with freedom comes
responsibility.
If the 6th, 7th, 8th grader cannot read
the warning on the pack of cigarettes we have an “educational” problem. If the
person can read but chooses to ignore the warning it becomes their problem.
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
When a tobacco company official lies under oath this becomes a criminal act.
FREEDOM DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO LIE!!
Another one is the television, if you do not like the crap being dished
out (mindless fodder) either change the channel or turn the idiot box off. Do
something, quit whining.
If a person on his or her own free will, goes out and has multiple sex
partners after being informed that this sort of behavior could lead to problems
(part of the educational issue) and comes down with a sexually infectious
disease they should be free to suffer the consequences. Yes folks some lessons
in life are more difficult then others. Again freedom has a price.
A wise man named Paul Harvey often states that we cannot legislate
morality. The morality issue is not the disease but rather the multiple sex
partners. The consequences are the disease. If we want to change the moral
standard (which was the Bible) the rest of us need to be informed.
We can make good choices or we can make bad choices. The biggest problem
facing this country is a clear definition as to which standard to use for
morality. We seem to have thrown God out of our courthouses and also out of our
schools. The court system seems to have the power and freedom to do that. I
happen to believe tossing out God was a mistake and every day one can read
about the consequences of our moral dilemma ripping at the fabric of this
country. I am willing to listen to suggestions for standards of morality,
although I prefer the Bible.
Do not just blindly trust some preacher to tell you what the Bible says.
Open the book and read it yourself. Why is it that people like George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln,
Martin Luther King Jr. just to name a few, could accept the Bible but many so
called “intellectuals” can not?
Yes this requires one to get off their duff and show some initiative. Freedom is not free it comes with responsibility.