The Road To Freedom. - What is the price of freedom, and will you pay the price?

INTRODUCTION:

I want to start by saying thank you to all who emailed me, called me, or messaged me wishing me a happy birthday. I appreciate all my friends, family, readers, and subscribers. In more ways than one, you have all contributed to my life. Your best wishes made my day more memorable. Thank you.

Tonight's topic is a passionate topic for me. I love our country and everything it stands for. I receive many emails asking me to discuss current political events. Some I do write about. However, some topics I do not because they are so opinionated by the media and the reporting gets so out of control, I choose not to become part of the rhetoric.

The underlying theme of many of the emails I received evolved around the question of what freedom has become in our great nation. This post will attempt to cover all those questions and concerns. Freedom is a tricky word. The definition changes depending on the cause that is questioning it. However, freedom, in its raw state, does not change. The definition always remains the same regardless of the cause or those trying to manipulate its meaning.

By definition, courtesy of Merriam-Webster "is the quality or state of being free, such as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. Liberation from slavery or from the power of another. Boldness of conception or execution. A political right."

According to the Helpful Professor, There are 40 types of freedom. Freedom of choice, speech, expression, and religion, which are the most common we hear about, are only a few. There are also economic, political, thought, assembly, press, movement, choice, intellectual, artistic, educational, association, informational, personal, fear, want, sexual, medical, emotional, digital, expression, scientific, academic, conscience, identity, environmental, technological, discrimination, privacy, violence, torture, slavery, petition, interference, contract, oppression action, exploitation, and dissent.

Just when you thought freedom was simple. Right? It is not. Check out that link. Each one is briefly explained. You'll be surprised.

FREEDOM:

Many ask whether we are free or on the road to a new form of freedom. I stated freedom, by definition, does not change. It does not. Therefore, anyone challenging its purpose only tries to manipulate the meaning to suit their cause.

Many view different forms of freedom and comment that "it is wrong." This results from someone's opinion, not fact or freedom by definition. If we are to live in a free society, we MUST be fair and respect the freedom and rights of others regardless of whether we agree with it or not. That is a complicated meal for many to swallow because, by nature, human beings are opinionated.

This skews the definition of freedom. Let me explain. Within the walls of freedom also come rules and laws. Just because you have freedom of choice does not mean you could choose to go out and murder someone without having consequences. Freedom of choice will not help you in that case. Yes, even freedom is governed by rules and laws, as it should be. However, now comes the issue of right and wrong: fairness and equality.

For example, let's look at sports—one of the most significant controversies today. Freedom means anyone should be able to choose to participate in playing sports. I think we can all agree with that statement. However, in the case of gender identity, is it fair and equal for a male who identifies as a female to compete in a sport with other biological females? Some would argue that they should be able to under the auspices of freedom. Others will say they should not because the physical match-up is not fair and equal.

What adds fuel to the fire is the fear by politicians and many sports team owners that not allowing it would cause people from one train of thought or the other regarding equality to become offended. The plot continues to thicken. Here is where I get to state my opinion. Lucky me. I do not believe biological men should compete against natural women in sports. The match-up from a physical standpoint is not equal. Allowing this is a great disservice to women and female athletes who have trained as hard and as long as male athletes. I think having a transgender league for those who identify themselves as male or female might solve this controversy. To be clear, I will restate what I have said numerous times. I support individuals' right to live how they choose and be who they wish to be. I do not endorse any individual who attempts to infringe on the rights of others to promote their cause.

Whether you agree or not, my point through these examples is freedom becomes a complicated issue once we introduce morals, values, right, wrong, fairness, and equality into the mix. Now add politics, voters, the public, media, and public opinion into it, and we have on our hands what we have now—a cesspool. Companies need to worry about what they name their products and how they advertise them, and it doesn't end there. However, this is the cost of freedom.

THE AMERICAN DREAM:

"The American Dream is a happy way of living that many Americans think of as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. Especially by working hard and becoming successful." Courtesy Merriam-Webster.

Is this still the American dream?

What happened to the days when every citizen of this great nation stood and placed their hand over their heart during the playing of our national anthem? When sports figures did not take a knee or disrespect our flag during a sporting event? Is that a price we must pay for a new road to freedom? Regardless of anyone's personal feelings surrounding any issue, when does disrespect and dishonor justify a person's actions?

This is especially true in the case of some sporting events where our country is footing the bill for these athletes to be where they are. Doesn't, or should I say, shouldn't, a certain degree of respect be expected? Since the beginning of conflicts, both men and women have given their lives for all of us to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy. Disrespecting them and our flag does not support your cause. Therefore, my question for you all to think about is simple. When does freedom outweigh right from wrong, respect from disrespect, and honor from dishonor?

Immigrants have been coming into our country for decades. It was immigrants who built the foundation and infrastructure of our great nation. However, have we taken this to the extremes? Today, we do not know who is entering our country. We are just letting everyone in. We do have a border crisis. This is an additional burden on the taxpayers, and even the sanctuary cities are now busting out at the seams and are screaming enough is enough. When is enough? Death rates due to drug overdoses and violent crimes have increased. Much of this is traced back to those crossing our borders. Whether they come through border patrol or sneak in is irrelevant. There is no control, no background checks, nothing.

We are America—the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are the hope for a future—the land of opportunity. The cartels are getting richer, and we are becoming poorer. All of this costs money. Education, medical insurance, shelter, and food may be free for immigrants, but the taxpayers are footing the bill. Our largest beautiful cities are turning into homeless shelters. Businesses are closing their doors because no one is shopping there. People are moving out because their neighborhoods are no longer safe. The Mayor of New York stated, "If this continues, it will destroy New York City." It is spreading rapidly. Biden says, keep everyone in Texas. Oh great, that's a good fix. Texas will keep busing them out. When your sanctuary cities say enough is enough, the administration must listen.

Government spending is out of control. This administration wants trucks to be fully electric by a specific time frame. Who advises these people? The batteries would weigh 8,000 more pounds than the fuel they carry. This means they have to carry 8,000 pounds less freight. They can only travel 1.3 of the distance, and it will take hours, not minutes, to charge their batteries versus filling up their tanks. This also means they can only travel 1/3 of the distance daily. Basic math tells you the cost to move freight could go up by three times the amount. Who is going to pay for this? Guess what? We will. The additional cost will be passed on to the stores, and the stores will have to pass that increase to the customer. That is you and I. I guess you feel you aren't paying enough for food now. Keep in mind that 72.5% of our goods are transported by truck.

I ask you again. Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Freedom, the concept of the American dream, Democracy, and racism are words that are twisted to suit the narrative of any individual or group. They are strong words and are used as tools for fear.

DEMOCRACY:

Courtesy of Google, "Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives." This means a true democracy is a political system in which power is vested in the people. Through this system, the people exercise their sovereignty by participating in the decision-making process of their government.

Now, for the hard facts. If you understand the definition, you must also understand who is responsible for our Democracy. Politicians would have you believe that it is one party or the other that wants to destroy Democracy when, in fact, our Democracy lies in the hands of each of us. The voters. We elect these individuals to office.

We do this based on their promises, what we see, hear, and read. All of which we cannot trust because we all know the media is biased. That is the real shame. How do we know who to vote for? I have said this many times and will repeat it. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOME RESEARCH.

The internet is a powerful tool. Use it. Research a candidate's background. What were their successes and failures? If they are new to politics, most come from a business background. Were they successful?

Remember. You do not have to like them. You don't eat dinner with them, you don't socialize with them, and you don't wake up next to them in the morning. You don't have to like their smile or how they comb their hair. You only need to believe that they can get the job done. My comment may sound like I am taking sides, but I am not. I am only stating facts. People got tired of all the drama that came with Trump. I get it. Biden ran a convincing campaign and won the election. However, he has not produced. He has the lowest rating of any other President in history. His policies have caused inflation, our supply chain problems, energy costs have soared, we have lost our energy independence, our military is suffering, and our foreign policies are in the toilet. We are the laughingstock of our two most prominent rivals. Russia and China. Both are teaming up against us. When he was vice president, his foreign policies were terrible. Are we better off today than four years ago? Yet, he has a friendly smile, mild-mannered, and sounds convincing. However, the truth and facts are in the numbers.

The United States is one of 24 other countries that live by the principles of a true democracy. We are not alone, nor did we invent the wheel. I think we do it better than most. Others may feel differently. However, as I stated earlier, words such as Democracy, freedom, racism, and the interpretation of the American dream are twisted to meet the narrative of those using them. Words that put fear into companies, advertisers, and people. No one knows what is right or wrong anymore. What can I say, and what can't I say? Who will I offend? This stifles communication and a healthy exchange of thoughts among people. Everyone tries to force or impose their views on others rather than live their lives as they choose. So many feel the need to be accepted. What happened to feeling good about yourself? Why does all this need approval from others?

IN CLOSING:

Keep in mind that freedom and Democracy are two different things. One is guaranteed to you in our constitution, whereas the other is how our society chooses to live. However, both come with a hefty price tag. One, we must be willing to pay to maintain our way of life. Some of this is in the form of dollars and cents; others are a matter of acceptance. However, the things we choose NOT to accept, we must remain strong by knowing the only time we can change things is during election cycles. Every vote counts. I have always said I will NEVER vote straight across a party line. I will vote for the candidate I believe can and will do the job. Whether they hold the title of Democrat or Republican is incidental to me. We have all seen both parties come forth with good and not-so-good candidates. It's not about the party. It is about the candidate.

With all that is happening today, is this the new road to freedom? Is this what we want freedom to look like? Is this the price we want to pay for it? Only you can decide what you want. As for me, this is not my definition of freedom as I would like it to be or how I have lived it my entire life. Freedom must come with accountability from our leaders. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE. No one expects you to be perfect. No one is. Everyone makes a mistake from time to time. Just own it and fix it. Stop putting poop on the spoon and try to convince me it will taste like chocolate pudding. I know better, and so should you.

I gain a higher respect for anyone who makes a mistake, takes responsibility for it, and proceeds to fix it rather than sugarcoat it and cover it up. That insults my intelligence. Think about what freedom means and how you want to live it. You don't have to eat anything from a spoon that smells bad. Thank you.

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Please feel free to leave comments, or if you have a topic you would like me to discuss, you can email me at crondina@caesarrondinaauthor.com. Thank you.

Be safe, stay well, and focus on being happy. And remember to always: