In today’s Society it’s a sad commentary when I see and hear people who do not understand what protections and rights they truly have thanks to the many individuals who gave their lives for them to say “We are a Free People”.
How many of us truly understand and know the rights we have thanks to the U.S. Constitution? Just about everyone knows or believes they know their rights thanks to this living document, that so many individuals died for. But do we honestly know our rights? Or have we simply become too complacent and figure they could never be taken away?
This subject matter has always been around in many different forms of discussions such as Parental Rights, Abortion, Gun Rights, Freedom of Speech and yes even the right to chose whether to wear a mask or not.
Some argue that as a society we have developed into a Sheep Mentality. This is also called the Herd Mentality, which is defined as: the tendency for people’s behavior or beliefs to conform to those of the group to which they belong. A good example of this is was Nazi Germany! Where one man who had an ability to speak with confidence convinced many that his way was the right way. This led to the horrors of millions of people being slaughtered for their religious beliefs. Many Germans joined the Nazi Party out of fear or simple ignorance. But the Herd Mentality was there; “follow the leader he knows best!”
At one time there were people who stood up and fought against this sort of behavior. Throughout history these men and women can be seen standing up for the individual rights of a person.
The American Revolution, The Civil War, WWII, The Suffrage Movement, and even the Civil Rights Movement. In some aspect all these were fought against a herd mentality of someone telling someone else what is better for them.
Today we have the Parental Rights Movement, where Government Officials remove a parent (father or mother) from a child and we as a society agree with it as whole, because we have been told it was in the child’s best interest. But was it?
During these trying times of Covid-19 we are told by Government that we must wear masks and get a vaccine, for society as a whole. But do we really have to?
Where do the rights of the individual stop and the rights of the society begin? What would those who gave up their lives for our freedom think of us today as individuals and as a society as a whole? Would they judge us and regret their sacrifice? Or even worse what if these individuals had chosen not to stand up for our rights as individuals and simply follow the herd? What would our society be like then?
As an American I was raised with the believe that every person has a right to live their life as they see fit. They have a freedom of choice for their religion, for their thought and speech, for their right of raising their own child as they see fit. But now, as I look at society I see too many individuals leaving these choices up to others for them and I am saddened that we as individuals have lost that part of ourselves. That we would simply follow the herd instead of stand up for what so many have sacrificed for. OUR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS TO GOVERN OURSELVES!