Category Archives: Freedom

Washington, DC Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) introduced the Freedom to Fly Maskless Act. The bill will prohibit the federal government from mandating masks, negative COVID-19 tests, and vaccinations on public transportation, including domestic flights, now and in the future.

Original cosponsors: Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Congressman Bob Gibbs (OH-07), Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10), Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18), Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36), Congressman Thomas Tiffany (WI-07), Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15), and Congressman Byron Donalds (FL-019).

Congressman Brooks said, The American people are sick and tired of being dictated to by unelected Washington bureaucrats. As we have seen throughout the pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has worked with other entities like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to impose masks, testing, and vaccination requirements. Unelected bureaucrats have falsely claimed the power to foist unnecessary and anti-science mandates on the American people. These mandates have resulted in good Americans being fired from their jobs, being jabbed with needles against their will, and even losing their businesses in some cases. It is time to throw off the heavy boot of tyranny thats crushing the American spirit. Washington bureaucrats need reminding that America was founded on freedom and liberty.

Brooks concluded, My bill, the Freedom to Fly Maskless Act would prohibit unelected Washington bureaucrats from requiring masks, tests, and vaccinations on public transportation, including domestic flights. Each individual has the right to decide what health precautions they want to take when confronting Communist Chinas lab-created virus or any future illness. Let me be clear, there is no amount of mandates and dictates that will end the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 will continue to spread. Americans must learn to live with this virus because its going to be with us long-term. Continued mandates are not justified, and its long past time Americans return to our pre-pandemic lives.

Background:

###

Excerpt from:

the "Freedom to Fly Maskless Act" | Congressman Mo Brooks - Congressman Mo Brooks

In late 1990, I was part of a group of Canadians recruited by a professor from McMaster University and funded by Canadas department of External Affairs to go to the recently independent country of Ukraine to teach political operatives about political parties in a democracy. The curriculum included fundraising, community organization. advertising. media relations, E-day organization, strategy, etc.

The Berlin Wall had fallen one year earlier on Nov. 9, 1989 and the thirst for freedom shone brightly in our Ukraine classroom. Approximately 150 individuals, representing 30 or 40 political parties, showed up to attend two weeks of lectures from our group.

Howard Aster, a political science professor from McMaster, recruited a multi-party group of instructors including, as I recall, Jim Coutts and Martin Goldfarb from the Liberals, myself and others from the PC Party and several from the NDP and a variety of advertising and media buy companies. We represented political parties from across the political spectrum from the Green Party to the Communist Party of Ukraine.

There were some unusual aspects to the logistics to our trip. Aster had to bring a huge crate of toilet paper from Toronto because that was not available in Kyiv. Once that basic comfort was provided for, I remember sleeping on a wooden bunk bed with a thin mattress in the building that a year earlier had been the Communist Party headquarters. It was quite surreal.

I came away from that experience with a positive feeling about the future prospect for democracy in Ukraine. The people we met were eager and thirsty for freedom and it seemed to me prepared to work hard to achieve that end.

It reinforced my only other experience with Ukraine politics. In 1988, I learned of the hard work and courage shown by a young Torontonian of Ukrainian descent, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, who drove a crate containing a printing press and three million pieces of paper in a transport truck from St. Petersburg in Russia to Kyiv and then prepared political pamphlets urging the breakup of the U.S.S.R. and freedom for the people of Ukraine. (Wrzesnewskyj later became a Liberal MP for Etobicoke Centre). The address on the crate was Shakespeare-Kyiv.

I have seen many media clips describing the courage of Ukraine leadership and its citizens in these early days of Putins violent assault on their country. The words of Ukranian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy I dont need a ride, I need ammunition will be etched in the history books alongside those of Winston Churchill when people google the words political courage.

The events of this week pose a serious threat to democracy and freedom in Ukraine. However, the strong resolve, defiance and courage exhibited thus far suggest that it may take more than Putin counted on to extinguish the thirst for freedom in Kyiv and Zelenskyy, the comedian turned politician, may have the last laugh.

John Laschinger is a veteran political organizer best known for organizing election campaigns and party leadership bids for a variety of candidates.

The rest is here:

A first-hand account of Ukraines thirst for freedom in 1990 - Toronto Star

The Mississippi Deltaand my hometown of Tutwiler in particularhas been at the epicenter of Black Americans fight for civil rights and freedom since the early days of the movement. Almost 70 years ago, Tutwiler resident Woodrow Jackson prepared Emmett Tills body to make the long, lugubrious journey back to Chicago at the Tutwiler Funeral Home. Mamie Till-Mobley became a catalyst in the movement for justice soon aftera movement that I am proud to continue today through my work as a state representative humbly serving the citizens of Bolivar, Quitman, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie counties.

More than half of the people in Mississippi jails and nearly two out of three people in Mississippi prisons are Black. But Black people make up less than 40 percent of the States population, which means we are grossly overrepresented behind bars. Over the past three decades, the Black incarceration rate has increased 85 percent.

The prison crisis in Mississippi has hit the Black community especially hard. As a result, Mississippi has the second-highest imprisonment rate in the country. This crisis has separated families and costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. When you stack this issue on top of all of the other challenges and obstacles our community has faced (and is currently facing), the barriers can seem nearly insurmountable.

These alarming statistics are one of the many reasons why we must continue to prioritize common sense criminal justice reforms so that all Mississippians have the chance to productively contribute to our communities.

We have passed legislation to help safely reduce our prison population. Now, we can continue to build on the criminal justice reform successes of the past few years by prioritizing and investing in reentry programs. When we invest in re-entry services to help formerly incarcerated Mississippians return to their communities, we are strengthening our communities and promoting public safety. We are doing justice.

Dr. Cornel West famously said, Justice is what love looks like in public. We demonstrate our love for our fellow Mississippians and our love for justice by creating and funding critical post-release services like housing, and employment training opportunities that help people get back on their feet and start moving in the right direction. Mass incarceration has taken a tremendous toll on all communities and has negatively impacted Black families and communities. Thats why we have to expand opportunities to help people safely return home and give individuals a chance to productively contribute to their communities and to our State.

We have seen the results of doubling down on the same misguided policies and ignoring the need to support all of our citizens. Overly harsh and extreme sentences, inhumane and sometimes deadly jail and prison conditions, and barriers to release have fueled Mississippis prison crisis. Black Mississippians, especially Black men, have suffered the disproportionate impact.

We can keep Mississippi families together and save hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars by focusing on reentry services that support people returning home and reduce recidivism. These types of services cost far less than keeping people locked behind bars and give us the flexibility we need to invest in children, families, small businesses, and communities.

In his recent State of the State address, the Governor proposed a $2 million dollar investment toward reentry programs for people within six months of their parole date. This funding is a great initial investment in a comprehensive approach to building opportunities for people who are paroled to transition back into our communities. This is an opportunity to heal some of the fractures created in the Black community after decades of harsh policy.

The bottom line is that we must provide comprehensive and well-funded opportunities post-release so that people can safely and successfully reunite with their families and help build stronger communities. Thats what justice looks like.

Read this article:

A History of Fighting for Freedom Continues through Giving All Mississippians a Second Chance - Enterprise-Tocsin

AMES, Iowa As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued to send emotional shockwaves across the world, a sizable crowd in Ames banded together in support of Ukrainians.

About a hundred people gathered at Tom Evans Plaza in Ames Sunday afternoon, many of whom waved the Ukrainian flag or wore the national colors of blue and yellow.

The crowd eventually marched through downtown Ames and stood on the Main Street Bridge over Grand Avenue.

While some attendees were born and raised in Iowa, many were born and raised in Ukraine. That included Nataliia Ponura, a Ukrainian exchange student at West Central Valley High School in Guthrie County.

Ukraine is not going to give up, Ponura told the crowd. Ukraine is a really strong country. Through all ages, we have been fighting for our freedom to be an independent country, and we have done really well.

Other Ukranians at the rally have resided in Iowa for many years, but are consumed with thoughts of their friends and family back home.

Sometimes, its even hard to get sleep because you want to stay constantly in touch with them, said Zhanetta Bailey, a Ukrainian immigrant who now resides in Pella. You dont know if there will be sirens.

Stand by us. Do what you can, said Lesya Hassell, a Ukraine native who is now a faculty member at nearby Iowa State University. Do not stand silent.

The rest is here:

Weve been fighting for our freedom: Ukrainians and Iowans rally for peace in Ames - WHO TV 13 Des Moines News & Weather

Important Notice

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) offices in the bureaus/offices of the Department of the Interior are continuing to process FOIA requests to the best of their ability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To keep employees healthy and safe, the Department is maximizing telework flexibility and employing social distancing protocols. As a result of these precautions, most employees are working remotely and unable to collect hard copy records located in government facilities at this time. If your request is for hard copy records, the response to your request will very likely be delayed.

Employees may not receive FOIA requests that are sent by U.S. mail, overnight mail services, or facsimile in a timely manner. We recommend, therefore, that requesters submit requests through the government-wide portal athttps://www.foia.gov.

You should know that a request to the Service or a Service component (for example, a request seeking documents from a regional or field office) will be presumed to seek only records from that region or component. A request will not be forwarded to another bureau unless it is clear on the face of your request that it was misdirected. For example, if you address your request to an appropriate FOIA contact in the National Park Service and ask for records concerning a specific park, but your request is delivered to the Fish and Wildlife Service, your request was clearly misdirected. In such a case, the Service FOIA office will route the request to a FOIA contact in the proper bureau. If you need assistance determining where to send a request, you may seek assistance from the bureau's designated FOIA contact or FOIA Requester Center (seehttps://www.doi.gov/foia/foiacenters).

If you are seeking records located at a specific Region or component of the Service (see Regional Map below), specify in your request which Region or component you seek records from. The request will be assigned to the appropriate FOIA Coordinator (See below).

If you seek records from an unspecified component of the Service or you are unsure which component of the Service is likely to have the records you seek, indicate such in your request. The FOIA Officer or staff member will forward it to the Service component(s) that he or she believes has or are likely to have responsive records.

Requests may be submitted electronically athttps://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/home, or by mail to 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IRTM, Falls Church, VA 22041.

How to submit a FOIA request on FOIA Online

Note: We no longer accept request via email. The preceding is the only accepted form of submission.

You can reach us by email fwhq_foia@fws.gov, or by mail 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IRTM, Falls Church, VA 22041. For general FOIA questions contact FWS FOIA Officer, Cathy Willis at (720) 425-5173. For new request issues or status update contact FWS West Coast Lead/Intake Coordinator, Stacey Cummins, at (303) 236-4473.

Read more:

FWS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) | US Fish & Wildlife Service - US Fish and Wildlife Service

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu filed his nomination for the upcoming state election on Saturday.

Addressing the press after filing his nomination for the upcoming Punjab Assembly election in Amritsar on Saturday, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu challenged Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia to leave Majitha constituency and contest the polls only from Amritsar East.

I challenge him to leave Majitha and fight from Amritsar East seat only. Why fight from two constituencies? he said.

Bikram Majithia has filed his nomination from both Amritsar East and Majitha constituencies. While Navjot Sidhu is the Amritsar East MLA and will be contesting the 2022 election from the same seat, Bikram Majithia is the current Majitha MLA.

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Bikram Majithia responded to Sidhus dare by saying he does not take his opponent seriously. The Election Commission has given me the freedom to contest from other constituencies, he said.

With the Amritsar East constituency becoming the site for a heated battle, both Bikram Majithia and Navjot Sidhu took to the streets on Saturday for door-to-door campaigning.

While Navjot Sidhu called Bikram Majithia a shady character who earned money through illegal means, Majithia said Sidhu was a characterless man and he did not need a character certificate from him.

Majithia added, A man who used to call Rahul Gandhi Pappu has now started calling him Papa. He used to call Sonia Munni. He claimed that Sidhu was unstable and would never be made Congress chief ministerial face.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

The Sidhu-Majithia war has been raging for a few days now. Bikram Majithia hit out at Navjot Sidhu after the latters sister accused him of abandoning her mother. Majithia said, "A person who cannot be good to his family cannot be good to anyone.

He also alleged that Sidhu and the Congress government implicated him in a false drugs case to prevent him from contesting the Punjab polls. Bikram Majithia is facing an FIR by Punjab Police in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) case. He was earlier granted interim bail by the high court on the condition of cooperating with the investigation.

Punjab will go to the polls in a single phase on February 20. The votes will be counted on March 10.

ALSO READ: Why Ravidasia, Ramdasia Dalits matter in Punjab election

ALSO READ: Opposition banking on Navjot Sidhu's unfulfilled poll promises, undone work in Punjab | Ground report

Click here for IndiaToday.ins complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Go here to read the rest:

'EC has given freedom to contest from more seats': SAD's ...

PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Canadian Alexis Cossette-Trudel, who is suspended from Facebook and Twitter for promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory, had a message he wanted to send from Canada to France.

The "Freedom convoy" protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates that were starting to block transport links in Canada were striking a blow for freedom and French people should take note, he said in Quebec-accented French. read more

"The freedom convoy is a festive and exemplary movement," Cossette-Trudel said in a videocast on France Soir, a COVID-sceptic French online media outlet on Feb. 7.

Register

Five days later, a French "Freedom convoy" - with some people waving Canadian flags - defied a police ban to enter the French capital and snarled traffic around the Arc de Triomphe. The police deployed tear gas and made more than 50 arrests. read more

Reuters has found some of the loudest online voices coordinating France's convoy have direct links with Cossette-Trudel and other Canadians, revealing a network of connections between "anti-vaxx" and right-wing groups in the two countries.

To be sure, the Freedom Convoy in France sprang mainly out of homegrown movements, including the "Yellow Vests" whose protests began in 2018, and the people identified in public as its leaders had no direct ties to their peers in Canada.

But the connections identified by Reuters between French and Canadian anti-vaxxers helped to translate the messages and protest tactics circulating among North American anti-vaxxers for French audiences.

It is a connection that, according to some researchers, could move the needle in April's French presidential election, when anti-vaxxers are likely to be active.

Canadian YouTubers and bloggers, especially those from French-speaking Quebec, are natural intermediaries between North America and France, said Benjamin Tainturier, a researcher with MdiaLab at Sciences Po university in Paris.

"They have French channels [where] they say 'Look what is happening in the U.S.', because they are close to the territory, they speak English as a second mother tongue and they know the Youtuber eco-system."

Cossett-Trudel told Reuters half of his viewership comes from France.

He operates in large part via Radio Quebec, a Francophone platform whose main editorial priority is opposing COVID-19 related restrictions and the vaccine, which he sees as part of "a power grab by the establishment".

Suspended from mainstream social media, he now broadcasts via other platforms such as VKontakte, Odyssee, and Gettr favoured by people like Cossette-Trudel who have been removed from YouTube. Across the three platforms he has a total of more than 100,000 followers.

"LOVE FROM FRANCE"

Historic ties between the two countries led some French people to donate to the Canadian trucker cause.

One fundraiser on the Christian platform GiveSendGo received $8,501 from 130 French people between Feb. 5 and Feb. 10, according to Distributed Denial of Secrets, a website that handles leaked data and said it received hacked donor data.

One donor wrote: "Much love from France, and sorry we sent you the Trudeau family centuries ago." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked rarely used emergency powers to end the protesters' three-week occupation of Ottawa over the weekend.

Cossette-Trudel says he speaks regularly with Richard Boutry, one of the organisers of the French convoy whom he described as "a friend".

Boutry, a Christian who believes that those in government are "disciples of satan", has appeared on Radio Quebec and has hosted Cossette-Trudel on his own alternative media outlet, La Minute de Ricardo.

Cossette-Trudel has participated in events organised by a Canadian non-profit called the Foundation for the Defence of the Rights and Freedoms of the People (FDDLP).

French anti-vaxx rising stars sit on its board of experts: anaesthetist Louis Fouch and geneticist Alexandra Henrion-Caude, as well as infectious disease professor Christian Peronne and epidemiologist Laurent Toubiana.

The foundation has raised C$1.2 million and the second biggest outlay after lawyer fees is payment to its nine experts, said FDDLP president Stephane Blaise.

Of the four French experts, some are paid and some volunteer, he said, without giving details. Henrion-Caude denied receiving any money and said she had not financed any campaigns. The other experts did not respond when contacted for comment by Reuters.

"A lot of Europeans follow us," said Blaise. "It is a beautiful collaboration."

Analysis of social media activity around the last French presidential election, in 2017, showed that North American and French online activists coordinated on the forum popular with the far-right, 4chan, to swing votes in favour of far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

In the run-up to the French "Freedom convoy," Twitter accounts calling for or interacting with the protest were mainly connected to anti-vaxxer presidential candidate Florian Phillipot, followed by far-right presidential contender Eric Zemmour, according to data analysis by France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

CNRS research director David Chavalarias said the mobilisation - online and off - was a warm-up for the election. "It's going to become more important and more coordinated," he said.

Register

Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Alex Richardson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read the original:

The transatlantic network connecting France's 'Freedom Convoy' to Canada - Reuters

Ottawa police attempted to clear out the remaining Freedom Convoy demonstrators on Sunday ending a 24-day occupation of the citys center to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

At least two people were arrested as police moved into the logistics camp and removed the last vehicles occupying the area, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

The convoy of trucks had caused traffic backups in the city for weeks.

A total of 191 protesters were arrested and 57 vehicles were towed since police began forcefully removing them on Friday.

The camp, located in a city parking lot on Coventry Road, amassed roughly 100 vehicles. Across the street, several tents had been erected for meetings and meals, as well as a trailer with heated toilets and two saunas, the paper reported.

Officials are concerned that protesters, many of them truckers, will regroup outside the capital and come back, shutting the city down again.

We are trying to keep tabs on those that are leaving and potentially massing to come back, Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said at a press conference Sunday.

On Sunday, Ottawa police said businesses should feel comfortable reopening following the weeks-long demonstration.

Businesses should feel safe to reopen if they had closed during this unlawful assembly, Ottawa police said

Businesses and residents, we thank you for your patience throughout this operation. Supporting local businesses is considered lawful if you are entering the secured area.

Bell said Ottawans can expect a heavy police presence in the area in the coming days. He told reporters at a press briefing Sunday that his department has a long road ahead in restoring the publics trust of his department.

They woke up this morning to fencing and a very heavy police presence through the downtown core. While I know everyone is pleased to see many of the unlawful protesters are gone, this is not the normal state of our city, Bell said.

We know as a police service we have public trust to gain back.

Police swooped into the areas occupied by protesters Friday to squash the blockade, leading to several scuffles between cops and demonstrators.

On Saturday, police used pepper spray and stun grenades to remove those who remained, clearing most of the area in front of Parliament and next to the prime ministers office.

We told you to leave, Ottawa police said in a tweet Saturday. We gave you time to leave. We were slow and methodical, yet you were assaultive and aggressive with officers and the horses.

Most of those arrested were slapped with mischief charges, and dozens of vehicles had been towed, including all those blocking one of Ottawas major streets, authorities said.

Ottawa represented the movements final stronghold after three weeks of trucker demonstrations and American border blockades created a political crisis for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In a controversial move, Trudeau invoked Canadas Emergency Act for the first time in the countrys history, giving the federal government broad power to restore order, including freezing protesters financial accounts.

Continue reading here:

Ottawa cops clear out last 'Freedom Convoy' protesters after 24 days - New York Post

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Derek Brouwer, a Canadian truck driver who attended the "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa, said his bank accounts have been frozen and his truck was seized due to his involvement in the protest.

On "Americas Newsroom" Monday, Brouwer said his personal bank account, his trucking account and a third unrelated business account were all frozen over the weekend. He also doesnt know where his truck is or what happened to it.

Protester arrested in Windsor, Canada, on Sunday morning (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)

This comes after nearly 200 protesters were arrested and almost 100 vehicles were towed Sunday. Ottawa Police tweeted that officials were actively looking to identify protesters and impose financial sanctions and criminal charges.

"Since then, I havent heard anything from them or the government," Brouwer told host Bill Hemmer.

CANADIAN-STYLE TRUCKER PROTESTS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Robert Dorion, a civil engineering technician in Canada, said on "Fox & Friends" that police were "extremely rough" in some cases while arresting protesters. He clarified that protesters were never violent with officers.

"We only wanted the mandates to be lifted because they go against our constitutional rights," Dorion said. "And this evolved into something different that the government seems or seemed to have already planned."

He believes Trudeau invoked the emergency measure because police were unable to provoke protesters to violence.

He said the governments move to freeze protesters assets is "very dangerous."

"Any government being able to freeze assets as they wish if youre not going things the way they want, in my opinion, is far from being democratic and is not what Canada stands for," he said.

OTTAWA POICE CALLED TYRANTS, 'CRIMINALS AFTER THREATENING FREEDOM CONVOY TRUCKERS

Brouwer said he doesnt know what is going to happen with his accounts.

(Photo by Mohamed Kadri/NurPhoto via Getty Images | Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Basically, the bank, they shut it down, and I havent been contacted by anybody," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Brouwer said he doesnt know what will come of the "Freedom Convoy" protest, but he doesnt believe its over.

"It seems like many of them are gearing up even more," he said.

Excerpt from:

Canadian protester's truck seized, bank accounts frozen over connection to Freedom Convoy - Fox News

What is freedom? Is everyone entitled to his or her own definition of freedom or do all of us have to agree on a single definition to have a functioning society? Why does the question about freedom seem so relevant now?

Some of us are arguing about the freedom to not wear masks or get vaccinated. Some rural neighbors want their neighborhoods to be free from commercial cannabis operations, homeless shelters or gambling casinos. Local business owners want more freedom from COVID-19 health safety restrictions and some PG&E customers want to be free from using smart meters.

Philosophers and other funnymen among us tell us that our freedoms begin and end exactly where the next persons freedoms do the same. But is that really how it works?

Didnt we answer the meaning of freedom and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness long, long ago with the founding of our country and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution? Were the mobs of people at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 defending their freedoms or were they trying to steal freedoms from others?

Well, judging by the current set of current events and social conflicts, wed say the definition of freedom is very much unsettled. Weve been told our American ancestors lived for decades under a peaceful and reassuring sense of shared freedoms. We sent our men and boys to foreign wars to fight for freedom. And, we won, right? Our America has been the leader of the free world for more than a century. Even now we seem poised to defend the freedoms of the people of Ukraine, a nation that is 5,000 miles from our shores.

Up in Canada, commercial truck drivers want to be free to drive across the international bridge without getting vaccinated. Asked why he was blocking the streets of Ottawa last week, a truck driver gave a one-word answer: freedom.

Maybe the problem here is how we are using our words. It seems like lots of us are practicing freedom from facts, the truth and obvious lies. Freedom isnt the only word these days without an accepted definition. Last week, by formal resolution, the Republican Partys leadership called the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol legitimate political discourse although almost 700 people have been arrested for rioting and severely injuring over 100 Capitol guards.

Whatever is included in todays definition of freedom is very different from definitions used to define Americas past. For the first 70 years of our country, white men were free to enslave people and chain them, beat them, rape them or kill them. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but Black Americans did not have the freedom to vote, ride a bus of their choosing or live in certain neighborhoods until 100 more years later after the Freedom Marches and Supreme Court case decisions of just 60 years ago.

The definition of being free from the fear of lynching seems like an entirely different concept than seeking freedom from mandatory anti-virus vaccinations. As long as we live in an America that can no longer rely on the peaceful transfer of power and on free and fair elections, our very basic concepts of freedom will remain elusive.

Once upon a time freedom was the primary principle of our democracy. It guarded us from both mob rule and the tyranny of totalitarian power. Our government of laws protects all our freedoms by declaring that power can only be exercised by the state over any individual or group when it is necessary to prevent harm to others.

This democratic norm seems as simple as the Golden Rule. But when did do unto others, as you would have them do unto you become devoid of truth, civility and trust?

Visit link:

What is freedom? | Scn Opinion Multipaper | soconews.org - SoCoNews