Posted by
Ed Menendez on Sunday, January 04, 2009 12:00:00 AM
America has a very strong tradition of protecting speech. With good
reason. Tyrants can never control thoughts, but if they can control
speech, then they control your thoughts and indirectly your actions.
Ultimately that's what they care about. Since it's prudent to solve the
problem in utero, controlling speech is simply an abortion of your
actions.
Tyrants, however, are clever animals. While Americans are militantly
vigilant of the right to speak freely, we're not so vigilant of
everything else. Tyrants are happy to let you say whatever you want, as
long as you do what they say.
The situation we have now now regarding our civil rights is like
staring at the speedometer in the car to make sure you're going 65 but
completely ignoring the fact that the lights outside are a complete
blur and there's a curve ahead that's twice as close as it was before
you blinked. Obviously you need to go faster since it only says 60. We
think we have the government under control but actually, it's just
going to drop us off the cliff.
The point of free speech is to be able to think as differently as
you want, and act as differently as you want, along with the folks
you've convinced along the way. It's not just the speech, but the
action that's important here.
What we need is freedom of consumption. Consumption is something all
Americans like to do, why not protect it? We should have as much
freedom with what we put into our mouths as we do with what comes out
of our mouths. By controlling the "drug-culture" like religious people
control their children, they know they can control your mind and make
you perfect consumers. The marketing creates a shiny plastic world to
make you happy. It's all lined up neatly for you as long as you play in
the system. Some of us know this plastic reality isn't real at all, and
would choose to live in a reality that is created by us not for us.
Paradoxically for my liberal friends... the bigger government gets,
the more you have to play by the rules because the government can only
deal with one way of doing things. And it can barely deal with that. If
you start having your own thoughts that might not fit neatly into the
big government machine, you obviously must be beaten down until you fit.
What can you do? Just like bible thumpers like to wear crosses and
attach poorly drawn fishes to their bumpers, be public about your
support of free consumption. Let it be known that those who have free
minds are out there and are no longer scared to sit at the front of the
bus. Above all, don't be afraid, as that is exactly what a tyrant
counts on. Don't fear failure, instead be terrified of never trying.
Demand this freedom loudly and frequently of the new administration... Mr Obama, tear down these drug laws.
Originally posted at http://menendez.com/blog/drug-warriors-terrorize-freedom/