Editorial: Where is the Liberty Going?

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The Loss of Freedom and the Slide towards Tyranny

By Michael Benoit

What is tyranny?

October 1, 2008 (San Diego's East County) - It is the taking control of your body, mind or property without your consent. Freedom
comes to us naturally and tyranny is a stripping away of that freedom. Our
freedom can be classified into two categories -- the first being personal,
and the second being economic.

These freedoms, of course, are joined, so a loss of one equates to a loss
of the other. I don't believe that there can ever be a consistent
level of freedom from one person to the next. For example, if the politicians
make it mandatory to wear a seatbelt, this is an infringement on our personal
liberty; if we are punished by the state for not wearing the belt, which usually
comes in the form of a fine which diminishes our economic freedom. To the wealthy
the loss of freedom is likely not to be perceived at all.

If someone is arrested for cause, or for no cause, obviously there is a loss
of freedom. This is a loss felt by all. The country's founders
gave us a way to restore this lost freedom if government had no right to take
it from us. This protection is called Habeas Corpus, "the right
to have a neutral judge decide whether or not there was cause to deny your
freedom or not." We all know that the current administration in Washington
DC, along with a bipartisan congress, has stripped us of this protection against
infringement on our liberties. They have, as well, violated our freedoms
to be secure in our papers and personal effects as guaranteed under the 4th
Amendment.

Today, I am motivated to write due to the gargantuan loss of freedom this
administration is proposing, and what they have already done in regards to
Wall Street bailouts. People, we, and our children and their children, are
being sold into slavery to bail out the wealthy and the elite from their reckless
endeavors, and it is being sold to us as a plan to save us from financial ruin. I
ask you, how is it possible that placing debt on the working middle class and
poor, and all future generations, is doing anything but enslaving?

Michael Benoit (www.benoit08.com) is
the Libertarian candidate for the 52nd Congressional District seat. Editorials
are strictly the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
views of East County Magazine or our publisher. If you wish to submit an
editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.


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Comments

Thank you East County Magazine

Thank you East County Magazine for printing views that are not found in other media outlets. Until people realize what Mr. Benoit is saying we will continue down this path to a totalitarian style government.

Idiotic

Apparently it's pretty easy to get the East County magazine to print an editorial.

We print editorials on many topics reflecting many views,

and we don't filter out views with which we may disagree.  Unlike other publications, we very rarely print editorials written by our editor or staff, preferring instead to give readers a forum to voice their views in a bit longer format than short letters to the editor to which most other publications restrict reader opinions.

 

Our rules for choosing an editorial to publish are fairly simple:

 

Does it address a significant topic of interest to residents of East County?

 

Does it reflect a viewpoint not already presented repeatedly in our magazine on the same issue?

 

Does the writer avoid racist remarks, profanity, and/or libelous statements?

 

Does the writer present his or her opinion in a cohesive and literate manner?

 

East County Magazine has to date published many editorials from ordinary citizens, as well as elected officials and candidates including Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Green Party representatives, for example.  We are a nonpartisan publication and as such, we are dedicated to bringing readers a wide range of opinions in editorials, as well as links to factual documentation in articles, voting records of candidates, and other information to provide voters with a broad range of information on candidates and issues.