January 23, 2013
Wednesday AM

"Don’t bite the hand that feeds you." This simple phrase contains a profound nugget of wisdom, but that many are unaware of. Whoever you are dependent on has power over you and can control you. If you understand this concept, it is not hard to understand the dangers of collectivism. Collectivism pools the resources of many to be distributed by a few. It can wield great power and heavy responsibility. Because of this, most positions of authority attract many seeking personal gain and it scares away the majority of ordinary people. Collectivism, within a government, is not unlike a Ponzi Scheme except many are forced by mandate to give instead of being conned into it.  Collectivism takes choice, freedom and individualism out of the picture and it takes away your right to decide for yourself. Eventually, when an individual questions or tries to break away from the authority of those making the decisions on his/her behalf, those seeking to keep their power try to effectively hinder any opposition. One way is through labeling, symbolizing and dehumanizing. Our country has employed using terms such as "terrorist,” "mentally ill,” or “conspiracy theorist” and others on those brave enough to speak out.

There is another tactic that goes along with being labeled and it is being used to undermine the foundation of our nation. It is what many abusers and those skilled at covert manipulation utilize and it is called projection. If you step back and look at the larger picture of what is going on, it is hard to believe that anyone is protecting us, when the same entity is spying on us, labeling us, stealing from us, lying, covering up wrongdoing, overriding our right to choose, justifying taking our right's and implying we are the cause of another person’s actions. There is no equality or safety in this. Our rights and perceived security are contingent on our obedience to the wills of those who tell us what is for our own good. In private lives, this is called domestic violence.

I implore you to stop listening to the media about how horrible everyone is. I ask you to talk with your neighbors and even examine those that you disagree with the most.  Do you honestly think that any one of them is a true terrorist? Do you think that they are so unlike you and are such a threat that they deserve to have their rights and liberty taken away without any real crime?

We are being asked to keep an eye on our neighbors, to make sure they are not doing anything suspicious. The stage has been set for us to believe that all people are suspects and that they are potentially either suicidal or violent. The government wishes for us to believe that there is an epidemic and we need to be vigilant against it for our own good. And because most people really are good people and want to help and care about others, we are pressured into going along with it. It is part of who we are, as humans, to have passions, emotions and to be different. It is not to say that there aren’t extremes or that people do not commit suicide or become violent towards others. But there is not one person immune from having a finger pointed at them. Our government needs for us to believe that there are those that need to be forcibly “helped” for their own good just like our government needed us to believe that our friends, loved ones and neighbors are terrorists as well.

Who will question if an activist commits suicide when they are depressed? Who will question the government asking the public to look for an FBI agent/whistleblower on the run? Or who will question if that same agent is found dead if he or she was said to be depressed and likely violent? Who is going to question the reason the government is looking to confine a veteran when it is said the veteran is unstable, depressed or violent? This applies to anyone. Are you going to be one of those that questions authority and stands up for your neighbor or will let someone take them away “for their own good?”

This is not easy for me to speak about. I am admittedly afraid, just like many others I have talked to. The media and the government would like us to believe that we are in the minority to question the government's actions. But have you actually talked with your neighbors, to your family and to your friends openly? Don’t ask them about the issues the media wants you to focus on. Ask your own questions and draw your own conclusions. I don’t know of one person that has actually said that they like where our country is going. Our travel is now restricted, what we choose to put in our bodies is being regulated, what we own can be taken, our privacy is granted by permission, and the restrictions keep growing. Ask yourself; is this really what you want? Is this what you want for your kids, your neighbors and your community? Do you really believe that the growing restrictions have been making our country safer and a better place to live?

I know that it is possible to be labeled as a “terrorist,” “mentally-ill,” “fear-monger” and more when speaking out. I know that my reputation can be ruined and I can be discredited among other things, but what is life without liberty? Even if I choose not to speak up or if I hide from what is going on, I have chosen to create my own prison. Even if I am safe and I stand by while others have their rights taken away, I will have lost all that I am. And even if I have secured a moments peace, a time will come when I will find my rights forcibly taken away as those before me.

Liberty is about principles that can reach across every barrier no matter a person’s religion, sex, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, educational background, health, age, lifestyle or however else a group can be defined. Liberty is about individualism, true equality, true freedom and true tolerance. It is about treating others as you would like to be treated and not forcing others into what you would do yourself or what you think they should be doing. Without preserving individual rights the minority will only exist until the majority deems otherwise. A person, such as I, may be taken down, but if we stand together, united on the same principles, we can peaceably change our nation. We can say no. We can take our rights back as they are no one else’s to claim or to grant. Stop believing that we are helpless. Stop believing that no matter what we do it doesn’t change anything. Stop falling for the fact that a piece of paper can stop you from uniting with your community and standing up for what is right. Don’t let fear hold you back.You are important. You are what is needed to make our neighborhoods, communities and nation better place to live.

I am willing to sacrifice all that I have so that freedom and liberty can prevail. Will you?

Thank you for reading.

Amanda Mitchell
Ketchikan, AK

I recommend watching, An Idea Whose Time Has Come, by Edward Griffin and visiting the Freedom Force International website. http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/

Here are some other resources that might be of interest:

The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights. http://www.cchr.org/

In Sheep's Clothing: Understanding and dealing with manipulative people. A book by George K. Simon Jr. Ph.D
8 Stages of Genocide, by Gregory H. Stanton. http://www.genocidewatch.org/aboutgenocide/8stagesofgenocide.html

Representations of fact and opinions in letters are solely those of the author.
The opinions of the author do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.