I'm not talking about the obvious boundaries we all need to keep us safe and secure, but rather the unnecessary things that ebb away our liberty and freedom.
FREE SPEECH V POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
We all want to freely express our views, voice our opinions, debate matters, but do we really have a right to say what we mean - especially in public? Or are we forced to suppress our true feelings for fear of being labeled as a harsh critic, a racist, a trouble-maker or fanatic? Even when our thoughts are not criminal we can be scared of voicing our own real truth. So are we really free to speak? Or are our hands bound with the rope of political correctness?
GOOGLE - PRIVATE LIFE OR PUBLIC PROPERTY
I recently heard that google wanted access to everyone's private emails. It doesn't matter why, even if the reason can be justified. What really matters to me is the fact that this was just planted upon us, we were not given the opportunity to debate and furthermore, have no option to opt out. Our privacy is at stake. Again, freedom of choice is taken away. They are making our private lives into public property.
MR. CCTV - BIG BROTHER?
How about CCTV? It started off as a good idea, to catch criminals by identifying them irrefutably etc. and yes, it has provided some good evidence. But things have gone absolutely crazy now. CCTVs are everywhere. They're on the buses, the trains, inside/outside shops, banks, doctors surgeries. Yes, doctors surgeries. There I was sitting and talking to my doctor when all of a sudden I noticed this intrusive monster looking at me. Mr CCTV. Even though the area where you got undressed was behind the camera, nobody informed me beforehand that I would be filmed whilst privately talking to my GP. There was no opportunity given to challenge it's arrival and no liberty to have it removed. My privacy is being invaded and somewhat taken away.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
I thought there was freedom of information if your requested it. Have you ever tried to get information that the government or authorities don't wish you to have? If you are lucky enough to get a response to your request, I can guarantee that parts may be edited, deleted, or have relevant missing pages. So information is not always that free flowing. How many times have essential facts been covered up? One good example is Rupert Murdock CEO of News Corporation, allegedly involved in the phone hacking enquiry in the UK at present. Emails have been conveniently erased, conversations not remembered, and vital evidence missing or deleted. Telephone conversations have been hacked into time and time again. Privacy taken away. This does not just happen to the rich and wealthy.
OUR MEDIA GATEKEEPERS
What about Anders Breivik who murdered all those people in Norway? I wanted to hear what he had to say on the matter, I wanted to know why he believed he had to stand against multiculturalism and immigration and who he was affiliated to BUT the TV channel made a decision for us all. We were not to see parts of the trial. Even if they had a valid reason, once again my friend called 'choice' was taken away. No freedom to choose.
This is a vast topic and length of post limits the amount of examples I can give, but hopefully you have managed to grasp my point here about freedom.
Opinions, examples, agree, disagree - whatever the case, I'd love to hear from you. Feel 'free', whether you believe you are or not.
