You are living in enemy territory. Behind enemy lines. Whether you're in California, Texas, or Cuba. Even if this wasn't always the case, it is now. I know it's an uncomfortable thing to face, especially if you want to be a friendly, open person.
Your liberty is illegal, unpopular, and seen as a threat to those who seek to appease the enemies who occupy your territory. Same with your life and property if you decide to defend them from those who'd take or destroy them. Some of the people around you are happy to work with your enemies to help them destroy you.
If you are really lucky, you have family and friends who'll be on your side. To help you keep the enemies at bay. If not, enemy territory is going to feel more claustrophobic and lonely than you'd like.
What are you going to do about it? You probably shouldn't tell me over the internet.
It's a problem.
I don't have a solution.
You can pretend this isn't true; that I am being hyperbolic. I suspect this is how most people cope with the situation.
You can try to go along to get along. Maybe they'll eat you last.
You can join the enemy as a mole or monkeywrencher, either buying time from the inside or working to foil their plans. But at risk of losing yourself in the process.
You can speak the truth and make them mad-- taking your chances.
You can be silent and as invisible as possible while carving out your own little hovel of liberty in the midst of those who want to destroy you. Until you are discovered.
Any approach is going to have upsides and downsides-- and you don't have to stick to only one method.
If you don't at least recognize that you live in enemy territory... I don't know what to say to you.
“You can be silent and as invisible as possible while carving out your own little hovel of liberty in the midst of those who want to destroy you. Until you are discovered.”
ReplyDelete…. And then you can die, which was always the inescapable end as an inevitable consequence of your birth but merely postponed due to the silent and invisible choice. Now or later; regrettably human society has allowed no other options to the aberrants from the herd who demand freedom since before it climbed down out of the trees.
It's an unfortunate situation. I try to make the best of it, though. Sometimes I think of myself as a spy here in enemy territory. And then I report back to my readers what I've discovered. It's kind of a game, even though it is life and death.
DeleteI'm surprised you included Texas, which has gotten high marks compared to other states for freedom.
DeleteTexas is way too authoritarian for my tastes. I always wonder who is giving it "high marks", and whether they simply approve of the liberty violations it commits compared to other places.
DeleteThe freest-feeling place I ever lived was in a state that is pretty bad-- and getting worse-- about violating liberty. But I was in an area of the state that didn't pay a lot of attention to the edicts coming from the Rulers, and no one got in my way of doing what I had a right to do. At least, not very often. Here in Texas, I can't say the same. There are cops infesting every nook and cranny, just waiting to enforce counterfeit "laws". Cops ARE the "standing army" we were warned against.