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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Live Free or Die



Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils

-General John Stark

The New Hampshire motto: Live Free or Die, is on all non commercial license plates. When I travel far from home, sooner or later, someone takes note of the my license plate motto. Most folks who do approve. In my humble opinion it sure beats the wimpy innocuous mottoes most other states have.

In today's world is probably a bit politically incorrect -and I'm fine with that too.

The real irony is that the license plates are made by inmates of the state prison. Yeah, that's got to bite.

Then again, there are many forms of freedom. The body may be imprisoned but the unyielding mind is still free.

Unfortunately, what I see way too much of is the opposite. There are no chains on people's arms and legs, but their minds are shackled. There are many ways to shackle the mind: school, media, authority figures -even parents pass down their conditioning to their kids. They don't even know they've give up their freedom.

As I see it, one of the greatest sins is to deprive someone of their freedom. One of the greatest virtues is giving someone the opportunity to break their chains, be they physical or mental. I believe we were put on this planet to experience and learn. A slave has few opportunities for doing those things.

So Just about every day I can look out at all those NH plates and be reminded of the value of freedom. It keeps me honest.

-Sixbears

13 comments:

  1. We live in a form of "voluntary" slavery when we follow blindly behind what society and its leaders want us to do: follow the approved dreams: work work work to pay the mortage, have the big cars, two kids, followed by the happy retirement.... What a lot we loose in the process. I could go on but you know what I mean without a doubt.

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    1. It's sad when you show the slaves how they could take some freedom back and they get angry at you. They complain about being trapped, but don't want to risk escaping.

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  3. Most of us have been slaves at one time or another. Many of us still are... Thoreau said 'most men live lives of quiet desperation', how true... And many, too many live lives like that today... A new world order is called for...

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    1. The first step to freedom is learning how you've been enslaved.

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  4. If the whole country had that attitude, this country wouldn't be in the mess it's in.

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    1. Well, there's you and me, that's two. It's a start.

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  5. Quote from my 8 year old, musing on the license plate motto: "This is how it really works: you're born, you live, you live, you live, you live free for one month, then you die." Deep thinker, that one.

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    1. She'll have her own blog before you know it.

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  6. Amen, brother, Amen ...

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    1. Thanks. Might be preaching to the choir here.

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    2. I think you are Sixbears! But maybe one of the slaves will read this and start thinking...

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    3. I have been known to start trouble that way.

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