News headlines herald new and ongoing attacks on fundamental liberties. Sometimes by a celebrity, sometimes by a politician… (Yes, we know it is often hard to tell the difference.) But often by a lot of people. And of course the fundamental liberties that they attack are

Are these real? Or just hype? Clickbait?

It appears to be both. Looking at recent headlines and actually going beyond the first paragraph or two, many appear to be serious efforts to take freedoms away from the masses. But others are merely reporting some twisted little piece of legislation designed to satisfy donors and fringe constituencies. Or mad(cap) efforts to get a little more news coverage and five seconds on the nightly news.

The problem isn’t just an American one: some time ago the Telegraph detailed the situation they see in the UK: “We have now apparently accepted without reservation that the private, subjective experience of individuals is a proper matter for the state: that hurt feelings are as much the concern of the law as murder or theft.” This is the effort in Parliament and local councils to make “misgendering” and using “deadnames” a crime: it is seen as blatant efforts to control thought. To avoid “hurt” to certain select, privileged groups in modern society.

Now I know it comes as a shock to actually see a mainstream media source making this comment. It shows how bad conditions are. The so-called Progressives have been eating each other more and more in the last few years. More and more of them just can not stomach that!

But for Americans, this is a grave embarrassment, to be in a situation like this.

We see this in multiple ways. Recently an on-line poll question suggested that one of 21 recommended changes in the US Constitution “clarify” that the 1st Amendment does not apply to offensive hate speech. Of course, the proponents do not want to clearly define “offensive hate speech.” Like “pornography” they know it when they hear it!

But free speech is far from the only God-given right that lots and lots of people are working hard to steal from us. Keep in mind that the Bill of Rights was never intended to be and is not an all-inclusive checklist or recipe for freedoms: everything that government is not explicitly authorized to do is reserved by that Bill of Rights to the States or to the people. To individuals: to you and me.

Yes, many people believe that to be a dead letter, but dead letters (unlike dead people) can be revived. And there are signs of just such a revival in various matters. But that does not keep the lizard people (Tom Wood’s expression) from trying to go after both those rights clearly protected. And those protected by inference.

Why? Because our rights interfere with their power. With their ability to prey on us. To be parasites.

Which is why we have to be very, very attentive to detail and fight against every infringement. Locally, tribally, statewide, and federally. Yes, and even globally. Our Founding Fathers recognized that liberty belonged to all humans. (Yes, even black or other slaves, even if they could not restore liberty to them as many of the founders wished.) Not just Americans. Not just Englishmen. But everyone, every creature made in the image of God. Who is, after all, the Author of Liberty.