Written by Karrie Kirschenmann
In the United States, the familiar sound of freedom rings over the rolling hills, jagged mountains, and plains that soar farther than the eye can see. With one dong of the liberty bell, Americans are reminded of those who died for our freedom and our Founding Fathers’ determination.
The Founding Fathers built this nation in the image of great philosophers, each with their own view of the liberties we enjoy today. John Locke introduced the idea of “laissez-faire,” which is the basis of our capitalist economy. He also identified the inalienable rights that are inscribed in our First Amendment: life, liberty and property. From Montesquieu, our Founders learned that the most effective form of government is balanced, with each branch checking the other.
For 200 years, Americans enjoyed these freedoms. However, recently Americans’ inalienable rights, especially the pursuit of happiness, have been undermined by liberal policies. The examples are countless, but one case is Americans’ freedom of speech being censored for the sake of political correctness. For the first 200 years of our country’s existence, Americans were never taught to tiptoe around others’ feelings. They were taught to exercise and take pride in their First Amendment right of free speech.
Another example of liberal suppression of liberty is the infamous “plastic straw ban.” Over the past few years, liberals have over-exaggerated Americans’ effect on the ocean and its ecosystem. In reality, the United States is one of the least detrimental nations to ocean life. According to a report by Science Magazine titled “Plastic Waste Inputs From Land Into The Ocean,” The United States accounts for just 0.9% of the plastic waste in the ocean and our straws account for only 0.004%.
The true reason liberals are pushing to change something that presents no imminent threat is to increase regulation and further their economic power grab. Unfortunately, those are the incentives and motivations that drive Democrats.
In addition, California has the highest rate of homelessness in the country and liberal policies only serve to increase the problem. According to the United States Interagency on Homelessness, as of 2018, almost 130,000 homeless individuals lived on the streets, 11,000 of whom were veterans. California’s liberal welfare policies and sanctuary cities incentivize reliance on the state, rather than encouraging hard work and the sense of pride one feels from earning an income and being self-sufficient.
The state’s Democrats in Sacramento, therefore, move to provide as much “free” support to as many Californians as possible to encourage them to blindly vote for Democrats. Meanwhile, hard-working Californian taxpayers bear the brunt of ever-increasing taxes to support this ongoing problem.
In San Francisco, the mayor developed the “poop patrol.” These are individuals that are paid $184,000 a year to clean the streets of any feces. This is another example of hard-working Americans’ tax dollars going to waste due to radical liberal policies that only seek to benefit Democratic politicians. Americans have the right to compete in our capitalist economy and earn as much as they wish to better care for themselves and their families.
High taxes that only seek to make up for the lack of work of lazy politicians do not qualify as a civic duty. Instead, it is another way liberal lawmakers take advantage of American citizens.
Sadly, liberal policies are shaping the way Americans live their lives. Sounds of censorship and socialism are bound to replace the ring of freedom that is already fading. Our nation’s philosophy-based ethics will be drowned out by the radical Democratic yearn to further individual agendas. Our nation’s rolling hills, crashing waves, and majestic mountain peaks boast of freedom across the land, but that will only continue if the suppression of liberty is eradicated.
