It recently struck me that the one thing everyone seems to agree with and are willing to fight for, protest on, and sometimes even die for, is freedom.
Whether it’s the freedom to be able to drive or walk through a neighborhood without being pulled over for no apparent reason, or the freedom to stay healthy in the midst of a pandemic…freedom is at the heart of many of our fears.
Which is why it’s so important for all of us to be aware of, and wary of the multitude of seemingly small or “trivial” erosions of the many freedoms we take for granted.
We may agree or disagree with what happens in the world. We may like or dislike the people in power. We may or may not be happy with the rules and laws being made.
We all have our different views.
Which is why, more than ever, we need to allow *everyone* to speak their opinions and ideas without fear of being shut down simply because *we* disagree with them.
ALL opinions about what’s right and wrong must be allowed to be voiced.
Even those that make us cringe. Even the ones that seem outrageous and horrible to us. Those who have them, must be allowed the freedom to express them without fear.
Every time we take away their freedom to speak their mind, we take away a bit of our own as well.
Perhaps the next time you read or hear something that sounds outrageous to you, before you default to the typical name calling that has become so ubiquitous in our society, remember that your own FREEDOM is also at stake. If you value yours, as I value mine, I hope you’ll consider this message thoughtfully.
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