Take everything with a grain of salt. These are good lessons to keep in mind while going through life, and it's important to remember that no one and nothing is exempt from their wisdom. We've heard the cliches: lawyers lie, as do used car salesmen, and politicians cheat, as do auto mechanics. But these are sweeping generalizations that are unfair to those lawyers, salesmen, politicians, and mechanics who actually live godly lives. What's more, it muddles our expectations as to where we can expect to find lies and cheating. Newslfash: innocent people go to jail. This means that one or several of the people involved along the way did not do their due diligence: the arresting police officer, the attorneys, the judge, the jury, the expert witnesses. You may think that I watch too many crime shows, but you know what they say... life imitates art.
Furthermore, we may think that we live in a free society, but really, this depends entirely on who you are and what your personal beliefs are as they compare to the status quo. For instance, I think that teenaged premarital sex is more dangerous than having a glass of wine or a bottle of beer with dinner. Yet I dare you to serve beer or wine at a Prom afterparty to the same kids who can pick up free condoms at their high school's nurse's office.
We are so free, in fact, that if you're a law-abiding citizen, you're not getting the full extent of the benefits afforded you under this premise. After all, if you trespass into your neighbor's fenced-in yard and slip and fall into their pool, you have the right to sue your neighbor. Think I'm making it up? Read this: http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/06/can-you-get-sued-by-a-trespasser-on-your-property/ .
Oh, and while we're on the subject, you may THINK that you are innocent until proven guilty, that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, and that there need to be all three aspects of a crime needed to convict a jury of guilt (motivation, opportunity, means), but only if the person accusing you of a crime is a) an adult and b) the alleged crime cannot be defined as abuse or neglect. Otherwise, everything you learned in civics class goes out the window, and you have no way to defend yourself. Don't believe me? Just google "child protective services" and "false accusations". All it takes is a child's say-so, and you're toast. Even worst if the child in question is yours, because they will take your kid.
Speaking of the "authorities" taking away parent's children... kind of brings us back to this notion of "freedom", doesn't it? No one will disagree that it is morally and legally WRONG to abuse or neglect a child in one's care. The tricky part lies in who gets to decide what constitutes abuse and neglect. Think that discipline is only a controversial subject in parenting circles? Think again. If you so much as smack your child's hand away from the cookie jar, they may be spending some time in foster care.
The government also tells you how you can and cannot arrange your home. How do I know? We have a finished basement with a sliding glass door leading to the back yard, a door closing it off, and a private bathroom. In the past, we've used it as a summer master suite to keep us cool. When going through a homestudy to be approved to foster or adopt, we were told that we did not have three bedrooms, as we had thought, because a room without a window cannot be considered a bedroom. Now, I don't know what they had against the sliding glass door doubling as a window... it lets natural light in, and it certainly is much more handy as an emergency exit than a window. But there was no talking common sense with social services... a pattern I have now seen repeat itself ad nauseum.
Not convinced that we're not really free? See here: http://www.dumblaws.com/. And if you still believe what the authorities tell you "because they said so", well, all I can say is vaya con Dios, amigo. Vaya con Dios.
Joshua 24:15b
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
No comments:
Post a Comment