It amazes me how many people dislike restrictions and disclaim them in the nam
e of freedom. After all, in a free society, we should be allowed to say and do what we want. And, it seems clear that any hindrance of our rights as free citizens has to be an enemy of freedom itself…right? Not so fast.
Freedom and rights are given to all individuals within our country, and that means that for freedom to exist, all people must enjoy the same rights. So, it is only logical that our personal freedom can only be guaranteed up to the point where it starts to hinder another person’s rights. When our expression of freedom impedes the rights of another person, then our actions can no longer be protected. It is for this reason that individuals must be governed.
Freedom by it s very nature must protect itself through restrictions, and it is because of individual restraint that freedom for all can exist. When our individual desires show disregard for the rights of others, then our own beliefs and actions start to erode the very ideals we embrace.