When Did Our Freedoms Become Gifts From Government?

(Concert crowd - Image by Free-Photos on Pixabay)

(This post refers to the situation in the UK)

The government is ‘allowing’ us to spend Christmas with our families and loved ones.

A bizarre sentence.

A bizarre notion.

Yet hardly anyone questions it.

A whole raft of restrictions remains in place, but because they graciously allow us that time together, we’re supposed to be grateful.

And, still, they go on about ‘the science’.

This stopped being about the science a long time ago. This is purely political.

If the virus is so deadly to the entire population, how come it’s ok to relax the ‘rules’ to allow families to be together at Christmas? But only for those 5 days?

How come it’s ok for sports fans to return to stadiums – about time! – yet weddings are restricted to 15 guests?

There’s more, but I’m too angry to list them.

I’m angry at the constant fear-mongering and doom-laden messages from the government and from MSM. Not that I read/watch MSM anymore.

I’m angry at the constant shutting down of any kind of debate around anything to do with Covid-19 and the government’s handling of it.

I’m angry at the way people who are obviously not against vaccines get labelled as ‘anti-vax’ simply because they have the gall to have reservations about the new vaccines. I am not anti-vaccine – I’ve been vaccinated and so have the boys. But I don’t believe it’s wrong to have concerns for the long-term safety of any vaccine, and to want total transparency and truthful information made available.

I’m angry about so many things.

And I’m angry that we are losing our freedoms and there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it.

Freedom to do whatever we wish – within the law, of course; freedom to see whoever we want.

Freedom to have fun. Freedom to hug.

Freedom of speech; freedom of thought.

Freedom of ideas that are in books…

So many freedoms under attack and, frighteningly, it seems as if many are ok with that.

But it’s not ok.

In the insane fight to, supposedly, keep everyone safe, the government wants to control more of our lives.

Strange how, until a few months ago, it was a given that risk is an inherent part of life. Yet so many seem to have forgotten that.

The notion of ‘staying safe’ sucks the joy out of life.

There is so much more to life than simply existing.

To quote Lord Jonathan Sumption, author, historian and former Supreme Court Judge:
“What sort of life do we think we are protecting? There is more to life than the avoidance of death. Life is a drink with friends. Life is a crowded football match or a live concert. Life is a family celebration with children and grandchildren. Life is companionship, an arm around one’s back, laughter or tears shared at less than two metres. These things are not just optional extras. They are life itself.”

There is now talk of a ‘freedom pass’ that would be granted to those who comply with the government’s testing regime; they would have fewer restrictions.

That reminds me of South Africa during apartheid; the passbook that showed where a black South African was allowed to work and where they could travel. That document controlled movement by restricting freedoms.

This isn’t what life is supposed to be like in a democracy where freedom is a given.

And our ‘fearless’ leader, Boris Johnson, knows that. Back in 2004, this is what he had to say on the idea of identity cards:
“If I am ever asked, on the streets of London, or in any other venue, public or private, to produce my ID card as evidence that I am who I say I am, when I have done nothing wrong and when I am simply ambling along and breathing God’s fresh air like any other freeborn Englishman, then I will take that card out of my wallet and physically eat it in the presence of whatever emanation of the state has demanded that I produce it… extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice… our liberties are being lost because of the intrusiveness and incompetence of the Government.” (‘Telegraph’ 24 Nov. 2004)

How can Johnson not see that his government – a Conservative government with a supposed libertarian at the helm – is costing us our liberties by being intrusive and incompetent?

And when are we – the people – going to say, enough is enough, take back what is rightfully ours and return to living the one life we have?

Before it’s too late.