Let me preface this article by stating that we are in fact the freest nation in the world, and I do not take that for granted. Our nation is founded on laws and rights that keep people from being controlled by their government, but will this always be the case?
Most all of us in our lifetimes will learn about the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and various other founding documents that were created with the intention of preserving liberty after our nation’s founders escaped an oppressive government that did not leave space for its people to make their own choices.
While I do not think we are anywhere near close to returning to this tyrannic, monarchical style of government, I do see similarities in the way we run now to the government we escaped from two hundred years ago.
Regardless of political affiliation, I would like to be bold enough to make the statement that, a majority of human beings would not like to be forced to do or not do something. It is why women fought for their right to vote, or why we supported the LGBTQ community in their right to marry who they want to. So then, why do we allow our government to control us further, living in this illusion that because people have fought and won for their freedoms, we are free?
We are not entirely free, to say the least. We allow our personal opinions to limit people from participating in actions that have absolutely no effect on us. We would condemn the legalization of marijuana, but realistically it cannot affect you if you don’t partake in its use. Why do we not allow people the freedom to choose on their own?
There is also the issue that we are not near educated enough on the inner workings of government. There are still people out there who have told me, “The only election that really matters is the presidential election.” This is not the case, I tell you, they all affect the other and can have the utmost effect on your life very directly.
It all works its way up. Here is a Crash Course video explaining how the three branches of governments affect each other https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bf3CwYCxXw.
If we possessed a good understanding of how our government worked we could keep them from potentially violating our rights and limiting our freedoms. Even better, if more people voted and educated themselves on what they are voting for we could help prevent future oppression.
So I encourage each of you to educate yourself on the way the government works and to come to political opinions of your own through research so you can help keep us from ever imagining a world in which we aren’t free to choose for ourselves. I hope that you might not ever take that for granted.
Kelsey Fitzpatrick
Staff Writer