Freedom: A Mirage? Or An Attainable Future?

In the Western world, the concept of freedom and the reality of those afforded to us are two entirely different things. Just as they are everywhere else. The word freedom means many things, and the definition will vary greatly depending upon whom you ask. I will not speak for anyone else. This piece is about what freedom looks like to me personally.

In my perspective, freedom means the right, and encouragement, to thrive, not to merely survive. It ensures the ability to pursue one's dreams and bring them to fruition. Freedom means the comfort and safety of knowing that you are truly secure in your own home. Freedom means not deliberately harming anyone, yet having the ability to fully defend your family and your home from those who seek to harm. Freedom would also mean justice. Wrongs would be made right.

In a truly free world, every person would have the ability to choose where they would like to reside. They would no longer be forced to remain within the invisible boundary lines of borders. There would be freedom of movement. Meaning no one would be required to report their every move. Nor the who, the where, and the why to some governmental entity. An entity that could dictate whether or not this is permissible. There would be no seeking of permissions to travel freely.

If you could not find work that suited your needs, and hopefully it's work that brings you joy, then you could relocate to where more suitable opportunities are available to you. There would not be any form of repercussion from employers if you honestly weren't suited for a position and wanted to seek other employment.

Freedom means having the ability to choose the most appropriate and suitable method of education for your child(ren). As long as they are learning and thriving, that is all that matters. If the outdated curriculums available in many schools didn't meet your child's needs and you felt it would be a better option to hire a tutor or to homeschool your child yourself, then that would be allowed. There would be the freedom to homeschool your own children. The schools wouldn't rely on quotas of special needs children to continue their programs and, thus, they wouldn't be trying to force unnecessary programs onto homeschooling parents for the sole purpose of maintaining their funding. Participation in additional programs would be left to the discretion of each parent. Parents would always have the right to seek second, third, or however many additional expert opinions they see fit when it comes to having the needs of their children evaluated.

Education would be about teaching a plethora of applicable life skills as much as it is about teaching math, science, and understanding the pitfalls of history so we're not repeating the same mistakes. Creativity would be strongly encouraged. The arts would be encouraged for the sake of self-growth. In other words, the academic setting would be more complete than the one currently in place. Parents would have far more input on how their children become educated.

Vicious and vindictive people who cannot handle others having differing perspectives, beliefs, lifestyles would no longer be able to wreak such havoc as they are currently permitted to do without any repercussions. If you attempt to make false claims, slander, or defame any individual; There would be consequences. People would be able to live their lives (in ways that don't harm others) without fear of persecution and harm by those who don't share their viewpoints.

All medical decisions would be made by the individual, between couples, or within the family unit and not dictated nor forced upon them. Medical decisions/records would be kept private and not for public consumption. Secondary opinions could be sought without issue.

We would respect the autonomy of each individual. Overbearing, overreaching, detrimental, controlling, dictating policies would be a thing of the past. For it is far too easy in today's society for someone to have their entire life destroyed because of someone else's hypocrisy, jealousy, or differing views. The system currently in place will seek to control your every decision. They will render you voiceless in the process. It is a system that is constructed to bring about failure. It brings the failure of the individual and will result in the demise of the whole of society. Freedom is still an unrealized dream in this world of ours. A dream I fear will never come to be.

~

If you've enjoyed reading this, please consider giving it a "like" by clicking on the ❤️! If you'd like to read more of my writing, be sure to subscribe! Tips and pledges are voluntary, and so greatly appreciated!

I'm also on Medium.