Chipping away at our liberties

we must stop giving ground

America has earned the reputation as the land of liberty. Our Constitution’s Bill of Rights establishes individual freedoms and rights as the core of our national identity.

However, anyone with eyes to see cannot avoid noticing how rapidly liberty is being threatened on a variety of fronts. LibertyPen chronicles those daily assaults. When government-imposed lockdowns and censorship are accepted without much reflection or protest, we are collectively ceding control of our lives to the state. We must stop giving ground.

Our constitutional guarantee to speak freely without government interference is precious but often disregarded by those we entrust to safeguard it. The Twitter Files revealed how our government pressured social media giants to censor many factually accurate news stories and opinions simply because they inconvenienced the leftist narrative. The  Supreme Court will soon determine the extent to which the government can pressure social media companies to censor and suppress information. The First Amendment is unambiguous on the subject. The Justices??

We know the Biden DOJ has directed the FBI to target both parents advocating traditional values and any supporters of Orange Man Bad as potential domestic threats. Such a policy delivers a devastating chill to free speech and smacks of persecution. At minimum, it stifles debate which fosters uncritical thinking and promotes a nation of sheep rather than free-thinking citizens.

The post-9/11 era produced a massive expansion of government surveillance in the name of national security. The USA PATRIOT Act and other legislation authorized government agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of data, including electronic communications, with minimal oversight. Government officials testified before Congress that they were not conducting mass domestic surveillance of American citizens but, as we know, Edward Snowden proved otherwise. There were no consequences to their perjury because it was simply business as usual. There is no transparency when the truth is not a government ally.

Don’t be fooled. Deception by government officials is the rule, not the exception. Remember that 50-some senior intelligence officials signed a letter (regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop) that we now know was an absolute lie. Sure, national security is a vital concern, but it cannot be achieved at the expense of our individual liberty. If we sacrifice our liberty, what exactly would we be fighting for?

The "two-tiered justice system,” practiced by Merrick Garland’s DOJ — where different sets of rules, treatment, and outcomes depend on political affiliations — is incompatible with the concept of liberty. It is also too obvious to ignore. While Trump is gagged and forced to squander campaign time in court rooms defending sketchy allegations, the DOJ turns a blind eye to all of the money transfers, shell corporations and whistleblower testimony that clearly illustrate how the Biden family constructed an elaborate mechanism to peddle influence. While Donald faces 90+ indictments, nothing short of a signed confession by Joe would attract DOJ attention.

Other factors, such as the caving to identity politics into law eat away at the fabric of our liberties. Emphasizing group identity over individuality is an affront to our Bill of Rights. Justice must be blind to group identities because all rights are individual rights. There are no collective rights.

The effect of regulators on liberty are much like those of termites on a house. Every time a regulation is born an option dies. Everything from the cars we drive to the flow of our showers has become a result of a government dictate rather than a consumer choice. From light bulbs to straws, nothing escapes those empowered busybodies seeking to mind YOUR business.

The American system of federalism naturally promotes liberty.  Federalism allows states to have a significant degree of autonomy in governing their affairs.  States are free to experiment with different policies and solutions to address their unique circumstances. We see folks leave oppressive states like California for more liberty-friendly environments. That’s federalism. One size doesn’t fit all.

However, the centralization of power at the federal level is a growing trend. When anything is federalized, citizens have far less voice in matters that directly affect them.  Consider what happened to our educational system when decision-making was stripped away from PTAs and local authorities and turned over to Department of Education bureaucrats (1980): lower standards and diminished performance.

Americans must be free to pursue their own values, goals, and happiness. That requires the ability to make individual life choices and decisions, free from undue interference or coercion. People have different beliefs, values, and lifestyles. Individual liberty is key to providing an environment where all can coexist peacefully while pursuing different paths. It must be cherished and preserved. That requires vigilance, not rationalizations for its demise.

Thomas Jefferson warned us, “the natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." We cannot allow this “natural progress” to continue. It is quickly approaching critical mass. If ever the light of liberty in America is extinguished, the world becomes a very dark place.

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