Freedom   

 Civil Rights are in the fore front of touchy issues in these days of turmoil. The government has to walk a fine line between protecting it's citizens and protecting it's citizens Civil Rights. The two needs are not always mutually compatible. What, in the opinion of one, is enough protection, may be too much for another. There are Hawks that want no government at all and would happily live in a world of chaos where the strong rule. On the other end there are Doves that would give up all of their rights for the security that comes with a Dictatorship. In either world, if you knew the right people it would be safe to walk down the street late at night. (I recommend the movie 1984 or some of the post society apocalypse movies as examples of both extremes.) The problem with either extreme: the average person could not safely walk down that hypothetical street. They would be in far more danger from the authorities than they would from the criminals. There is one axiom in psychology that applies: give a person or group power without controls and they will abuse it in some form.

    The Government we have, faults and all, is still the best thing we have been able to come up with. It has checks and balances that give the strong some room to gain while still protecting the weaker. Government is a compromise, hopefully one that goes down the middle most of the time. A compromise; that when balanced makes no one entirely happy, but also does not take too much from any group. Governments do not act, they react; like a pendulum and if allowed to can swing from one extreme to another.

    Different groups come into power and attempt to swing the pendulum to favor their beliefs. The pendulum is  swinging now with the new Home Land security laws. (Depending on which group you talk to, these laws both went to far and did not go far enough.) There is no question that they were needed to address the threats of terrorism we are facing. The problem will be to keep in check any group that would use those same laws for their own personal agenda.

    If you are wondering where all of this rambling is going, it is very simple! To You! You are the one, the person in the closet, that person down the street that came out, you are your neighbor's neighbor, the plain Joe or Jane that lives from day to day or just maybe you have it made. It does not matter, you are the one person that can make a difference. Get your broom out of the closet and use it. Fly it if you will or just use it to sweep those people out of political office that would deny you your right to freedom of belief. Get active, let your congress person know how you feel and most importantly let them know you VOTE.

   Governments are made up of people, THE PEOPLE THAT VOTE, these people determine you future, if you don't take part - you won't have a voice in how that future is written!

Put one more bumper stick on your car that says:  I VOTE

Blessed be

CaveBear