*warning* This is kinda long. If you don't want to read it then just leave now. There's political stuff in there but I did NOT write it because I believe in it as much as it is just to piss off the teacher. This is just a rant that I'm turning in for my American Multi Cultural Studies class because I simply do not care about this class. After getting a C+ on an A paper, I decided it wasn't worth my time. It's a credit/no credit class and I'm sure I'll make it just fine. Just want to have some fun along the way.
Anyway, please keep in mind, this is not something I support or anything, I'm just writing it to mess with my teacher. If you get upset about it or think I'm stupid, then you're TOTALLY missing the point of the paper. I'm trying to be an idiot mind you. I woud love to add more stuff in there, so please give me suggestions if possible!
Redefining the Refinement of Freedom
Freedom is something everyone is familiar with yet no one knows. It?s something everyone aspires to yet no one can achieve. It?s something so fleeting that it?s beyond hope. It?s a lost cause. It has eluded Americans since the dawn of the country and will continue to do so indefinitely.
Freedom is defined as ?The condition of being free of restraints? by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Clearly this is the definition of freedom. Free to do whatever it is one can think of. Freedom is obviously inherent in American culture. Or is it?
Being an American in California in November of the year 2003 gives me the right to say ?I am free? and few would argue otherwise. I am free to jump 100 feet in the air! Well no. I?m still restrained by nature as I cannot jump more than a few feet nor can I fly on my own free will. But I am free to not breathe air! Well, I?m sorry but that is also untrue. I am restrained by human physiology. But I am free to kill whomever I see fit! Again, this is incorrect. Laws restrain an infinite amount of actions. This sets up the largest oxymoron of all time, ?American Laws?. For a country to be free, it must be without laws entirely.
Freedom redefined: Being protected from lies and skewed truths by a group that represents my country. Having a large selection of choices to choose from.
Yes, this is closer to the REAL freedom Americans experience. Yet it is not complete. Skewed truths and lies especially have not been diverted by such a group. No, not at all. Instead they are the ones who provide false information to us. Remember why went sent troops to Iraq? Weapons of mass destruction. Turns out it was a lie, there are no weapons. Jessica Lynch raped? It?s in her ?factual? autobiography. Another lie, it did not happen. What a shame, we already accused Iraq of being full of malicious people!
Yet still, am I free of biased opinions? Can I hear the truth? Not a chance in hell. The literature in school, libraries and stores is filtered through many higher powers that edit as they see fit. Outside sources still cannot provide the truth as the truth is no longer tangible since history has already passed.
But surely I am free of technology?! Once again, another falsehood. Success is based on the dependence of technology of some sort. Computers, cars, phones, clothes, thread, food?it does not matter. We are slaves to machines much like the Matrix has portrayed humankind.
How about freedom of speech? Why yes, this is the most basic of American rights. But wait, can I scream ?fire? in a theater? Nope. This would affect other people?s freedoms and thus is not allowed. Of course this sets up a fat line of what is acceptable and what is not.
Then comes the Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) act that kills off any sliver of freedom for Americans. As discussed in class, this is a thinly disguised document that distributes the already unbalanced power from the citizens to the officials. Freedom to communicate and discuss whatever they see fit has now become endangered. Just like the main character from Haroun, it is not allowed. There goes our large range of choices.
So where is the freedom? What are people dying to save? A deceitful group of people who we are to trust? Surely the people deserve better! But wait, how did these people come to be in such a predicament? Well originally they ran from Europe in search of religious freedom. After settling in America, they decided the best was to achieve this freedom, was to take away any freedom of the natives, including the freedom to live. And so on it went, year after year the natives were destroyed.
The settlers continued their cleansing of America until they realized that freedom required starting their own government outside of Great Britain?s. They needed their own group of people to lie and strip freedoms away from the civilians. And so the revolution began and ended with the birth of America, the ?freest? country in the world. With such a horrid foundation, it?s no wonder freedom can never truly be achieved.
In come minorities. America is full of them. America treats them horribly. And it?s really no surprise, despite how sad it is. America is founded on destroying natives yet when some people immigrate to America, they are treated with the ?We were here first, go back home? attitude all too many possess. How ironic.
Fortunately times are changing and things are getting better for minorities. But with progress in one field we hit a wall in another. Government will never become candid. It can?t. Prepare for lies ahead, we?re just at the tip of the iceberg.
What is truly sad, is not that we?ve been lied to. It?s that citizens are too dumb to notice or even when they do notice, they don?t care. Keep in mind, these are the people who think they?re free. They think America the free is the best damn country of all time. They follow orders and could care less. They would let the storytellers of the become mute and open their orifices to the lies, libel, slander, deceit, artifice, slyness and trickery that spews from the powers that be. If only Rushdie was of higher political clout.
Freedom redefined: A glimpse at an impossible state. Intangible, but like the carrot dangling in front of the donkey that is Earth, persistently and always blindly sought after.
So do we give up on freedom or fight for it? It matters not, for it cannot change in a lifetime. Take a timeline and stretch it out as far as possible and you?ll see the Earth devoured by the Sun, the universe shrink and the Big Bang repeat. You?ll realize that it doesn?t matter at all. The better question is ?Are you content with your surroundings as they are now?? Hopefully you are, as they are all too immutable.
Your prize for reading?
http://www.tonypierce.com/images/2002/universe/panama.jpg
Anyway, please keep in mind, this is not something I support or anything, I'm just writing it to mess with my teacher. If you get upset about it or think I'm stupid, then you're TOTALLY missing the point of the paper. I'm trying to be an idiot mind you. I woud love to add more stuff in there, so please give me suggestions if possible!
Redefining the Refinement of Freedom
Freedom is something everyone is familiar with yet no one knows. It?s something everyone aspires to yet no one can achieve. It?s something so fleeting that it?s beyond hope. It?s a lost cause. It has eluded Americans since the dawn of the country and will continue to do so indefinitely.
Freedom is defined as ?The condition of being free of restraints? by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Clearly this is the definition of freedom. Free to do whatever it is one can think of. Freedom is obviously inherent in American culture. Or is it?
Being an American in California in November of the year 2003 gives me the right to say ?I am free? and few would argue otherwise. I am free to jump 100 feet in the air! Well no. I?m still restrained by nature as I cannot jump more than a few feet nor can I fly on my own free will. But I am free to not breathe air! Well, I?m sorry but that is also untrue. I am restrained by human physiology. But I am free to kill whomever I see fit! Again, this is incorrect. Laws restrain an infinite amount of actions. This sets up the largest oxymoron of all time, ?American Laws?. For a country to be free, it must be without laws entirely.
Freedom redefined: Being protected from lies and skewed truths by a group that represents my country. Having a large selection of choices to choose from.
Yes, this is closer to the REAL freedom Americans experience. Yet it is not complete. Skewed truths and lies especially have not been diverted by such a group. No, not at all. Instead they are the ones who provide false information to us. Remember why went sent troops to Iraq? Weapons of mass destruction. Turns out it was a lie, there are no weapons. Jessica Lynch raped? It?s in her ?factual? autobiography. Another lie, it did not happen. What a shame, we already accused Iraq of being full of malicious people!
Yet still, am I free of biased opinions? Can I hear the truth? Not a chance in hell. The literature in school, libraries and stores is filtered through many higher powers that edit as they see fit. Outside sources still cannot provide the truth as the truth is no longer tangible since history has already passed.
But surely I am free of technology?! Once again, another falsehood. Success is based on the dependence of technology of some sort. Computers, cars, phones, clothes, thread, food?it does not matter. We are slaves to machines much like the Matrix has portrayed humankind.
How about freedom of speech? Why yes, this is the most basic of American rights. But wait, can I scream ?fire? in a theater? Nope. This would affect other people?s freedoms and thus is not allowed. Of course this sets up a fat line of what is acceptable and what is not.
Then comes the Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) act that kills off any sliver of freedom for Americans. As discussed in class, this is a thinly disguised document that distributes the already unbalanced power from the citizens to the officials. Freedom to communicate and discuss whatever they see fit has now become endangered. Just like the main character from Haroun, it is not allowed. There goes our large range of choices.
So where is the freedom? What are people dying to save? A deceitful group of people who we are to trust? Surely the people deserve better! But wait, how did these people come to be in such a predicament? Well originally they ran from Europe in search of religious freedom. After settling in America, they decided the best was to achieve this freedom, was to take away any freedom of the natives, including the freedom to live. And so on it went, year after year the natives were destroyed.
The settlers continued their cleansing of America until they realized that freedom required starting their own government outside of Great Britain?s. They needed their own group of people to lie and strip freedoms away from the civilians. And so the revolution began and ended with the birth of America, the ?freest? country in the world. With such a horrid foundation, it?s no wonder freedom can never truly be achieved.
In come minorities. America is full of them. America treats them horribly. And it?s really no surprise, despite how sad it is. America is founded on destroying natives yet when some people immigrate to America, they are treated with the ?We were here first, go back home? attitude all too many possess. How ironic.
Fortunately times are changing and things are getting better for minorities. But with progress in one field we hit a wall in another. Government will never become candid. It can?t. Prepare for lies ahead, we?re just at the tip of the iceberg.
What is truly sad, is not that we?ve been lied to. It?s that citizens are too dumb to notice or even when they do notice, they don?t care. Keep in mind, these are the people who think they?re free. They think America the free is the best damn country of all time. They follow orders and could care less. They would let the storytellers of the become mute and open their orifices to the lies, libel, slander, deceit, artifice, slyness and trickery that spews from the powers that be. If only Rushdie was of higher political clout.
Freedom redefined: A glimpse at an impossible state. Intangible, but like the carrot dangling in front of the donkey that is Earth, persistently and always blindly sought after.
So do we give up on freedom or fight for it? It matters not, for it cannot change in a lifetime. Take a timeline and stretch it out as far as possible and you?ll see the Earth devoured by the Sun, the universe shrink and the Big Bang repeat. You?ll realize that it doesn?t matter at all. The better question is ?Are you content with your surroundings as they are now?? Hopefully you are, as they are all too immutable.
Your prize for reading?
http://www.tonypierce.com/images/2002/universe/panama.jpg
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