Freedom, Fear, and Food

by
Suzann Darnall

In the movie, "Braveheart," Mel Gibson's character, William Wallace, yells, "Freedom" as he is being executed. Although the movie is a work of fact, fiction, legend, myth, and history, all mixed up into a stirring plot, it speaks to my heart. William Wallace was a man who essentially got fed up with the intrusions of government into the lives of the people. I think many of us in America today can understand the frustration of this man from the long ago past.

While I have for many years been concerned about the creeping control of government, in the past couple of years I've seen politicians go from a snail's pace to a veritable gallop as our rights have been down-trodden into the dust. Perhaps they've been passing bills all along without reading them or knowing what's in them … but now they are practically bragging about doing that, as if saying to us that they have no sense of obligation to actually represent us whatsoever. Quite frightening.

I try to keep up with the current news and politics as best I can. I listen to television and radio as well as read things online and what's passed along through emails or FaceBook. And, I can honestly say it scares me about half to death some days. I am appalled at the power grab by the secular-progressives. I fear we are sliding down the slippery slope in communism. In fact, I fear we are much nearer the bottom than we realize.

The phrase "liberty and justice for all" has great meaning to me. Among other things I take it to mean all are treated equal. That things are fair. A level playing field for everyone. This is not what I'm seeing today.

Secular-progressives don't view equality or justice the same way as most Americans. They see equality as meaning you take from the haves and distribute it amongst the have-nots. Their idea of a level playing field is to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator. And, the justice they seek is social justice. Somehow, paying a penalty to everyone who might ever have been offended in the past … even if that past offense was perpetrated against other people in another time and place. I don't think so! No one can really pay for another's crimes and it is unfair to ask it. And, if the secular-progressives are seeking retribution here in America, what about the inhumanities that took place ages ago in other places before people migrated to this continent? Are Americans to pay for those as well?

I am descended from both whites and Indians. How would I pay penance for the so-called crimes against the Indians? Am I supposed to hate the white parts of my family for supposedly stealing the land from the Indians? Am I supposed to hate the Indian parts of my family for not being strong enough to withstand the European tide that swept them away? Or, am I supposed to accept that humanity has a history of moving across the face of the earth, settling and resettling the lands? Face the fact that change is a part of human existence? I choose to celebrate the melting pot that is my ancestry and the legacy of America. I choose to believe that we owe no penance to the mistakes of the past, other than a willingness to try and do better in the future.

Especially since paying the kinds of penance the secular-progressives demand is the antithesis of liberty! And, I feel we must always seek to preserve liberty above all. Without liberty we have nothing. God granted us our free will, our free agency. Who is government to steal it away?

While we must have rules and laws to exist in a civilized manner, we must never over-step the boundaries into trying to police every aspect of the lives of others. Secular-progressives are now trying to step into those private areas. We must stop them now!One aspect that struck me recently is the ever-increasing secular-progressives' "food police" action. There are too many things happening to mention them all here, so I'll just touch on a couple. They have apparently declared out-n-out war on McDonald's and school lunches.

I used to weigh 275 pounds. I lost 129 pounds by healthy eating and exercise. So, I well understand the need to eat more wisely. To avoid fats, sugars, etc. But, it was MY choice to do a better job taking care of myself. I was not forced into it by a nanny-state government. And, while I wish I had more healthy options when dining out or shopping at the grocery store, I realize not everyone eats as I do, so I must make adjustments. My mantra all along my path to a slimmer, trimmer me has been, "I don't have to be perfect, I just have to do better." You will note my use of the word "I!" I have to do better. Not the government has to make me do better. Not that the restaurants have to do better. Or, the stores have to do better. I have to do better. It is my body, my life, my decision.

While McDonald's is one of the harder places to eat healthy, it is by no means impossible, even if getting a kids' meal. There are salads, fruits, juices, unsalted fries, chicken, water, diet drinks, milk, etc. I even ate at McD's while I was in my fast loss phase where I was dropping about 2-1/2 pounds per week. So, it can be done.

As for school lunches, I am appalled at the over-reaching nanny-state in this area. I thought it was bad enough they are trying (and achieving in some places) the exclusion of chocolate milk being served by school cafeterias, but it gets worse. There are school districts that are confiscating kids' brown-bag lunches if they are not deemed to be healthy enough to meet the school's requirements. Yes, confiscation of personal property! In school lunchrooms. Don't we have laws restricting confiscation of personal property???

I see these things, as well as many others, as signs that we need to do some serious thinking about the road our government is going down. I know I am not liking the path they have seemingly chosen. If they feel they can regulate our food options, what are they going to try to regulate next?

We must echo the battle cry of William Wallace! On November 2nd we must send out our own cry for "Freedom!" We must vote for Conservatives. True Conservatives who will roll back government and its excesses. Conservatives who will serve us. Conservatives who will look upon us at citizens and not merely taxpayers. Conservatives who realize it is OUR income, not THEIR tax base.

We must rid ourselves of the career politician leeches who have completely lost touch with the realities of life outside the not-so-hallowed halls of politics. Cast your ballot for freedom. Cast your votes in a way that will help to restore honor, dignity, and freedom to America. Let's work to re-create the American dream. Let's not be lulled back into supporting the nightmare that we are currently experiencing. Cry, "Freedom" and pray we get it in return!

But, do not think that November 2nd or even the 3rd is the end of this election. We must watch diligently to make sure they stick to the Conservative principles they are espousing to gain our votes. I think we have learned to our dismay that we cannot trust those in power. They are often corrupted by the power. If not kept on task they can eventually become poster children for the old saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." And, so far as I've seen, absolute power is the ultimate goal of every secular-progressive politician. Talk about your delusions of godhood!

© Suzann C. Darnall, OCTOBER 2010