Freedom

[jasmin]

How many of you think we as Americans live in a free society and why?

[texaspapi]

everywhere but the Middle East

[Smoke2nd]

We are controlled by various Federal alphabet agencies.
But still free-er than most.

[Houston65]

You shouldn't get any replies to this, but I am curious in case someone said "yes". I just saw that Michelle Bachmann has a bill called The Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act where it needs debated in Congress AND passed so we can have the freedom to choose which type of light we have in the house

[jasmin]

internet censorship?

[ICU 812]

For as flawed as our political system and society may be (and I recognize that we have some serious problems) we live in the the best country in the world. Recent court cases in Italy and the Caribbean (Aruba) have emphasized the strong legal system we have here (again; I know that all is not perfict in prevention, enforcement or in court). And these are European legal systems.


My relatives escaped from or endured the European horrors of the last Century. The unlucky were just exterminated. Later, the survivors lived through Russian occupation and persecution.

Pose this question to anyone from Nigeria, Mexico, Venisuela, China, Viet Nam, Cuba. . . .

Check the laws of any country against the first ten amendments as far as the rights of common people are concerned and ask the question again.

Austrailia, Japan and Canada (To name a few) strictly controle who may poses any type of firearm.

Freedom of speech is severely limited in many places.

Freedom of religen is non existant for nearly 3/4 of the world's population.

Just pick a country at random , then pick one from The Bill of Rights and see how they stack-up.

Yeah, we DO have problems that must be addressed but . . .All-in-all, I would prefer to live here rather than anywhere else.

[jasmin]

The laws we have are based on Canon laws. Hence the Penal code, biblical penance.

I know in Central and South America I can buy a gun and not have to go through tons of paperwork and wait 2 weeks. Gun laws are only getting tougher. What if I had a crazy ex or something and needed to protect myself NOW? What if he already had a gun and I did not. 911 can only do so much and court orders against a gun don't really do much. I know a provider who went through this.

Providing is legal in other countries. Yet we have not caught on to the fact 2 consenting adults should be able to do what they like if they are not hurting anyone.

We can't even set up online casino's as they are outlawed. They were years ago.

We are not perfect, no society is but we could sure stand to loosen up a bit on these rights we are loosing. As of a few years ago I could no access Al Aljazeera on the internet. We can now but we are yellow on the internet censor list. That alone states a great deal.

I am more free in Mexico and Nigeria because money can buy me what ever I like even police protection. In Legos, Nigeria money bought me safety and a passport to do whatever I wanted a few years back. I was there with an oil and gas company and anyone associated with the company was almost excluded from the laws. I'm sure bribes took place but there was a freedom I have not experienced anywhere else. Yes, money buys freedom in other places but here in the USA I see our freedoms being stripped away little by little. It's being done so slowly most don't see it. The old saying: how do you cook a frog for frog legs without it jumping out of the pot? You put it in a pot with cool water over the stove and turn up the heat little by little. The next thing you know you will have frog legs. The frog won't even notice if you turn the heat up slow. I can't help to feel we are the frogs now......

[ICU 812]

Jasmin: Thank you. You have made most of my points.

[Houston65]

Seems like backwards thinking here. Those first ten amendments are more restrictions on the government that the rights of common people. But because we are not free, most people think and phrase as such.

The Patriot ACT, Military Commissions ACT and the refusal to follow the Posse Comitatus ACT took about the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th Amendments. Free speech zones are establish at protests, blocks away from the event and there is no avenue to petition the government for grievances. You can petition all you want according to them, but the government claims nothing in the Constitution requires the gov't. to answer.

I used to have an offshore poker site, but those got banned in the Port Security ACT!

Originally Posted by ICU 812

Check the laws of any country against the first ten amendments as far as the rights of common people are concerned and ask the question again.

[TheDaliLama]

Obama has his hand up my ass and he moves my lips.

I bet he thinks I don't like it.

[live4fun]

I am more free in Mexico and Nigeria because money can buy me what ever I like even police protection. In Legos, Nigeria money bought me safety and a passport to do whatever I wanted a few years back. I was there with an oil and gas company and anyone associated with the company was almost excluded from the laws. I'm sure bribes took place but

... perhaps you are just more "illegal" than free, it will also to a point make you a target. if you want to be outside the law, then you have no right to complain with the arm of the law arrives, but I am sure if the law arrives in Nigeria you would be on the phone to the embassy demanding your rights as a citizen.

[sofiaofhouston]

Nope I would just buy my way out. Did before. I don't care what anyone says I HATE The Patriot Act!