America, Land of the Free. . .

Well, we were free at one time, but I'd guess it's been over 100 years since we've had any real freedom.

In a conversation with on of my foreign friends, he asked, "How come, in a free country, you have speed limits? How come, in a free country, you have so many laws?"

After confirming I understood and that my answer of "I don't know" wasn't from a language difference, I've considered those questions and more since. Those are very valid questions, ones that have 'bothered' me ever since I came back to the States after living abroad for nearly a half decade.

I'm asking those same questions even more now. It's not about "public safety," really. Not if you look at the city, county, state and federal laws. If you take the time to really look at them, it's micromanagement of every day life! These laws completely violate Constitutional rights, which is supposed to be "the law of the land." And yet, it's not, as we can see more and more every day merely by watching news (or reading).

If what I'm saying sounds outlandish, consider the following-- buildings in, say, Washington State, America must conform to the International Building Codes-- see link, towards the bottom of the page of link you can read how the state uses the International codes "with amendments" (https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/sbcc/page.aspx?nid=4).

But the "best" for aggravation has got to be this example: It's merely an FAQ on county codes (aka, laws)-- http://www.co.snohomish.wa.us/documents/Departments/PDS/Bulletins/50FrequentlyAskedQuestions0910.pdf

I don't live in the city, I live out "in the sticks," and yet the law (in this particular example, county code) says I can't make a fence higher than 6' tall unless I have a permit-- and permits, by the way, cost money. A fence? Pay money to ask permission to fence my property? Have to abide by ridiculously micromanagement "codes" (again, this is just another word for law, and a way to force away our supposed freedoms) to get privacy, to keep other people and/or their pests... I mean their children and pets... off my property.

This is obviously not a "positive" post, but I certainly hope it's one that makes you truly think about what America has become, and where it is headed. Don't be blinded by the consumerism and entertainment that define our society, and remember to think for yourself. That's why I didn't just state my opinion, but also provided example to which you can go and read for yourself.

Life is a learning process. A long process, and I'm guessing by the fact that geniuses have died, that it's a process that never really ends. There is too much to learn in a single lifetime, no matter how 'old' you get.

May you always strive to learn something new every day, and remember every day that each individual is unique and important and has something to contribute.

~Cedeham~