photo #7829944

Is America really the "Land of the Free?" __________________________________________________________________ Can you cut hair without a permit? Can you collect rainwater in your county? Can you drink raw milk? Do you ever really own anything when property taxes have to be paid …forever? Most Americans measure their freedom as being “exceptional” because people in other countries can’t do some things we can do like own guns, express our opinions, pursue wealth or obtain formal education. Fair enough. But here are a few questions to ponder. Are you completely free to own guns? Is there anything stopping you from doing so privately and being able to buy what you need, when you need it? Are guns and ammo always accessible and affordable? How about gun parts and accessories? Can you have the same weapons and protection as the people who govern you? Can you freely express all your beliefs without retaliation from others or from your government? Can you speak freely at work, online or in a group of your peers? Have you ever been punished on social media (society’s main form of communication) for saying something that was deemed, “bad?” Can you pursue wealth freely? How many permits and applications and how much private information did you have to give a government entity in order to work? How much tax do you pay and what is it used for? How many permits or extra taxes do you pay for working for yourself instead of a corporation? Are you allowed to sell your products online without any resistance? Can you obtain formal education freely? How much debt did you incur trying to learn skills so you could work and pay bills? Are you still paying off that debt many years later? Were you forced to take and pay for classes you’d never use to satisfy the requirements of a school? Why are basic life necessities like education, health care and shelter excessively expensive, turning us into debt slaves for decades? Why does not wanting your food sprayed with pesticides double your grocery bill? Why are those that don’t work rewarded with free food, medical care and income and those that work hardest are taxed more and more? Living in the United States is a blessing in many ways but I think we have lowered the bar when it comes to our standard of what freedom actually is. While experiencing freedoms can be relative, the definition of being “free” is not and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include censorship with punishment, perpetual taxation, financial slavery and a tedious struggle to maintain health and basic needs. We aren’t really free. Our chains just look different than other people’s. They are invisible and unrecognized, usually because we have been told we are free to the point we believe it and we are so busy and burdened we don’t have time to even know we have chains in the first place. This isn’t me being an ungrateful, spoiled American. I’m just taking the time to see what actually is and I’m guessing you’ve thought about a few of these things too. That doesn’t make us negative or insensitive - it makes us aware so we can get rid of some of the chains and actually be as free as possible to do things that matter. I’m going to be talking about more of this stuff in the future but for now, here are a few ways to lighten the heavy yoke of our country (And yes, it is heavy. Just because you don’t live in Africa doesn’t mean we don’t have real burdens): Stay out of debt. Debt is slavery, period. Don’t rely on social media to communicate and produce income. It is rigged against you and is literally and strategically designed to enslave your mind, time and energy. Don’t put your hope in men or systems that can’t free you (and don’t want to). They are slaves to their donors and to their addictions to power. Live simply. The more stuff you have, the more space, insurance and upkeep is required. Prioritize the people in front of you - not on a screen. The system wants to separate us at all costs - stick to each other and don’t believe the lie that online friendships can replace in-person relationships. We need each other and were not designed to live through screens. Read physical books, especially the Bible. Online articles (except this one, of course) train your brain to only take in short bits of information at a time, developing impatience in learning. Move your body and get sunshine. Don’t forget the basics of being healthy, which include physical activities that feed both body and mind. Exercise isn’t just for muscles and fat loss - it makes your brain and emotions healthy too. Look at the stars. When is the last time you looked up at night? It will give you perspective and remind you of your Creator’s power. If the world’s system wants you to always look down at a screen, perhaps the solution is to look up :) If you enjoyed this post, we appreciate you sharing it with your circle. Thank you and please let me know what your thoughts in the comments below :) - Katie