Liberals have rights. Conservatives have freedom.
At least that’s how it seems sometimes. We insist on our rights to things like abortion, conservatives insist on their freedom to bear arms.
But I want women to have both the right and the freedom to have an abortion, if that is what she needs to ensure her own future plans. And I want freedom from the fear that I could be cut down by an AR-15 in the grocery store.
Conservatives can maintain their right to bear arms in a regulated militia, but they must give up the freedom to bear those arms to the Safeway or Target, courtroom or school house. They must give the rest of us freedom from fear.
In other words, I want us libs to reclaim the word freedom for our own use.
Some years ago, I went to a lecture by Ken Kesey who announced, “The revolution is over. We lost.”
I still think he just said that to get our attention, but in 1969 or so things were not looking good. One of his recommendations for us was a project of reclamation: the U.S. flag, for one. I still recommend that. For too long we have let the “other side” get away with kidnapping the Stars and Stripes and claiming exclusive ownership. They’ve gotten away with it too, to the extent that now when I see a bank of American flags, I assume it’s for a bunch of Republicans.
But nevermind that, now. I’ve got something else that we should reclairm. A word we should never have let get away from us. That word is FREEDOM. Which is odd,because I thought that freedom was something we ancient hippies once were all about. Well, now we need to claim it again. Use your inner Mel Gibson.
FREEDOM!