Rights
Are we losing our rights and freedoms? The Virginia state legislature has a bill they wish to elevate to the status of a law. This law would fine an individual for wearing their pants too low and having their underwear show. If this indeed becomes law, is not challenged and struck down in court, we are in trouble.
Do not misunderstand me; I am not a proponent of wearing lewd attire in public. But if this becomes law, it sets a precedent, a benchmark for other such laws. It is just another small step toward George Orwell’s novel “1984” becoming a reality.
Laws are made to safeguard the public from dangerous acts or elements. The clothes we wear have been made under the standards set by an industry with federal governmental safety features built in. Nowhere in any of these standards is it stated that a garment must be worn in a certain manner, at least not yet.
Our government keeps shredding the very fabric of our freedoms. They have regulations regarding what we put into and on our bodies. At this point, they say it is for safety and in the public interest. But just how far will it go? Will we end up with a real fashion police? Will they make it illegal to wear an “outer garment” under clothes, or an “undergarment” as an outer garment? Would it become against the law to wear a swimsuit as underwear?
We are a constitutional democratic republic. In short, every citizen should have a say in our laws and the way we are governed. Why is it that political action committees and powerful special interest groups have the government ear when the average American does not? The answer is money!
I hate to harp on one group as the problem, but they seem to be at the core. The politically conservative fundamentalist Christians, they control a vast amount of money and political pull. Again, do not misunderstand me, I am not anti-Christian! I am not against any religion, but I do fear fundamentalists of any ilk. Fundamentalists feel threatened by the liberties and ideals others enjoy. They believe they are the only ones who know what is right and what is wrong; everyone else goes through life without a clue. If we allow them to control our government, the United States could end up just like the Muslim nations we are trying to bring into the 21st century. On the other hand, we would not be in other countries to fight for freedom, but to convert and control. So what is the difference between a fundamentalist Muslim and the fundamentalist Christian? They both feel everyone else is wrong and only they are right. They both believe others should be forced to see things their way. They both want to restrict freedoms of speech and self expression. They both want to turn back the hands of time and stop progress.
Many complain about what is on television today, yet the industry is profit driven and will not continue producing programming which is not watched. If the majority of the American public stopped watching this programming, why is it still on the air? The answer is they have not stopped watching it, but have tuned in on a regular basis. So I guess the fundamentalists are wrong that no one is watching these programs and Hollywood is ramming it down our throats.
Once before a fundamentalist group took control of this nation and pushed for a ban on alcohol. We all know the outcome of that debacle. It not only did not solve the problems it was designed to solve, but it created more. Over half a century later we are still feeling the ripple effect of those years.
If we allow a law to be passed dictating the way a garment is to be worn, next they will be telling us what garments are allowed! Can you imagine a ban on tee shirts and jeans? A stringent dress code will not be far behind, just waiting in the wings to be implemented.
We view conservative Muslim nations as backward for forcing all females to wear a burka in public. They see nothing wrong with it as it is part of their fundamentalist religious teachings. Are we to follow them is this fundamental fervor? Will it soon be a crime to show skin uncovered? What about cleavage? What would happen to athletic apparel, or shorts, and swim suits? Will they be only a memory from a distant past? Will we once more be covered from head to toe with clothing set to a standard approved by the ultra conservative fundamentalists ideal?
We have long been a nation whose youth have shown their style by not conforming to the standards of their parents. Are we now going to step backward and deny this very basic freedom? Even the founding fathers shunned a standard of dress in their day. The powdered wig was worn in official and governmental functions, they discarded this rule. Have you ever seen a portrait of Adams, Madison, Jefferson or Franklin sporting a powdered wig?
If we fall prey to this simple law, it could be as a snowball rolling downhill. Soon it could cover a nation with so many rules and regulations even the meals we eat could be dictated to us. The very core of American values lay in the freedom to choose. Do we want a government pushing us around even more than it already does now?
If only the narrow spectrum of fundamentalist values is adhered to, what other freedoms will we lose? Would we be the bastion of freedom the world perceives us to be? The freedom of choice can not be usurped from us without a fight. We have so many rights and freedoms in our every day lives that are taken for granted.
Fighting to gain freedom is only the simple beginning of the battle. The hard part is to keep those freedoms from disappearing because of the (peer) pressure of others. A civilized nation only advances through an open mind to change. Those with closed minds and opinions only hasten the demise of growth. Step back to the medieval years and see what we were and what advances we have made. Would you want to return to those dark days? Forget about freedom, all that is left is work, taxes and death. The litany of crimes could start with not addressing a stranger in the proper format.
With the technology of today, it would be very easy for these reforms to enter and control our lives from waking to sleep, and beyond. Can you imagine the police knocking on your door to arrest you for doing something in the privacy of your home that was no ones business to know about? Would walking around you home in your underwear one day be against the law?
Total control of a population begins with small steps. You can look to the past and see how one law leads to another, to another and to yet another. Laws can be used to not only protect, but oppress. Look to the layer of laws this nation placed on slavery and the final outcome. To this day we are still fighting that injustice.
How long will it be before these simple laws oppress everyone and not just a chosen few? Will we end up with a secret police to whisk people away in the dark of night, never to be seen or heard from again? Will you be next to lose even more of your freedoms because you don’t think just as the governing powers?
How far will we let these people go before we say stop? Will it then be too late? All journeys start with a single, simple step.
Ed Williams
©
Do not misunderstand me; I am not a proponent of wearing lewd attire in public. But if this becomes law, it sets a precedent, a benchmark for other such laws. It is just another small step toward George Orwell’s novel “1984” becoming a reality.
Laws are made to safeguard the public from dangerous acts or elements. The clothes we wear have been made under the standards set by an industry with federal governmental safety features built in. Nowhere in any of these standards is it stated that a garment must be worn in a certain manner, at least not yet.
Our government keeps shredding the very fabric of our freedoms. They have regulations regarding what we put into and on our bodies. At this point, they say it is for safety and in the public interest. But just how far will it go? Will we end up with a real fashion police? Will they make it illegal to wear an “outer garment” under clothes, or an “undergarment” as an outer garment? Would it become against the law to wear a swimsuit as underwear?
We are a constitutional democratic republic. In short, every citizen should have a say in our laws and the way we are governed. Why is it that political action committees and powerful special interest groups have the government ear when the average American does not? The answer is money!
I hate to harp on one group as the problem, but they seem to be at the core. The politically conservative fundamentalist Christians, they control a vast amount of money and political pull. Again, do not misunderstand me, I am not anti-Christian! I am not against any religion, but I do fear fundamentalists of any ilk. Fundamentalists feel threatened by the liberties and ideals others enjoy. They believe they are the only ones who know what is right and what is wrong; everyone else goes through life without a clue. If we allow them to control our government, the United States could end up just like the Muslim nations we are trying to bring into the 21st century. On the other hand, we would not be in other countries to fight for freedom, but to convert and control. So what is the difference between a fundamentalist Muslim and the fundamentalist Christian? They both feel everyone else is wrong and only they are right. They both believe others should be forced to see things their way. They both want to restrict freedoms of speech and self expression. They both want to turn back the hands of time and stop progress.
Many complain about what is on television today, yet the industry is profit driven and will not continue producing programming which is not watched. If the majority of the American public stopped watching this programming, why is it still on the air? The answer is they have not stopped watching it, but have tuned in on a regular basis. So I guess the fundamentalists are wrong that no one is watching these programs and Hollywood is ramming it down our throats.
Once before a fundamentalist group took control of this nation and pushed for a ban on alcohol. We all know the outcome of that debacle. It not only did not solve the problems it was designed to solve, but it created more. Over half a century later we are still feeling the ripple effect of those years.
If we allow a law to be passed dictating the way a garment is to be worn, next they will be telling us what garments are allowed! Can you imagine a ban on tee shirts and jeans? A stringent dress code will not be far behind, just waiting in the wings to be implemented.
We view conservative Muslim nations as backward for forcing all females to wear a burka in public. They see nothing wrong with it as it is part of their fundamentalist religious teachings. Are we to follow them is this fundamental fervor? Will it soon be a crime to show skin uncovered? What about cleavage? What would happen to athletic apparel, or shorts, and swim suits? Will they be only a memory from a distant past? Will we once more be covered from head to toe with clothing set to a standard approved by the ultra conservative fundamentalists ideal?
We have long been a nation whose youth have shown their style by not conforming to the standards of their parents. Are we now going to step backward and deny this very basic freedom? Even the founding fathers shunned a standard of dress in their day. The powdered wig was worn in official and governmental functions, they discarded this rule. Have you ever seen a portrait of Adams, Madison, Jefferson or Franklin sporting a powdered wig?
If we fall prey to this simple law, it could be as a snowball rolling downhill. Soon it could cover a nation with so many rules and regulations even the meals we eat could be dictated to us. The very core of American values lay in the freedom to choose. Do we want a government pushing us around even more than it already does now?
If only the narrow spectrum of fundamentalist values is adhered to, what other freedoms will we lose? Would we be the bastion of freedom the world perceives us to be? The freedom of choice can not be usurped from us without a fight. We have so many rights and freedoms in our every day lives that are taken for granted.
Fighting to gain freedom is only the simple beginning of the battle. The hard part is to keep those freedoms from disappearing because of the (peer) pressure of others. A civilized nation only advances through an open mind to change. Those with closed minds and opinions only hasten the demise of growth. Step back to the medieval years and see what we were and what advances we have made. Would you want to return to those dark days? Forget about freedom, all that is left is work, taxes and death. The litany of crimes could start with not addressing a stranger in the proper format.
With the technology of today, it would be very easy for these reforms to enter and control our lives from waking to sleep, and beyond. Can you imagine the police knocking on your door to arrest you for doing something in the privacy of your home that was no ones business to know about? Would walking around you home in your underwear one day be against the law?
Total control of a population begins with small steps. You can look to the past and see how one law leads to another, to another and to yet another. Laws can be used to not only protect, but oppress. Look to the layer of laws this nation placed on slavery and the final outcome. To this day we are still fighting that injustice.
How long will it be before these simple laws oppress everyone and not just a chosen few? Will we end up with a secret police to whisk people away in the dark of night, never to be seen or heard from again? Will you be next to lose even more of your freedoms because you don’t think just as the governing powers?
How far will we let these people go before we say stop? Will it then be too late? All journeys start with a single, simple step.
Ed Williams
©
posted by Ed | 23:17
2 Comments:
I'm not fond of the pants on their hips and If I ever see one running and their pants trip them up I plan to laugh out loud at them. Some men have a bad case of noassatall, but it is their deceson to show off their boxers if they want to. As it is for me to show off my cleavage at fare. I think it is my best traight other then my personality. Hope to see you this year.CSCM
here here!
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