| Before civilization would know the world, | | | | to that magical land that pulls your heart, |
| there was no slavery, there was barely any | | | | with the ideal that everything you see is the |
| property, and the most destructive form of | | | | common property of mankind and the world's |
| war was a simple, aggressive feud. Before | | | | animals. I must confess... I can honestly |
| organized society was born on this planet, | | | | think of no other action that is more |
| life was simple, there was no authority, no | | | | indicative of freedom than this.Among the |
| authority to abuse, and the land was the | | | | desire to test the liberty of will, there are |
| common property of all living creatures. | | | | so many other reasons. One might be |
| Once men organized themselves into | | | | attracted to the ideal of travelling either |
| hierarchies, giving certain occupations, | | | | by economic opportunity, family and friends |
| giving certain authorities, requiring | | | | living at a distance, or in hopes to escape |
| obedience, punishing dissent, then the flame | | | | political or religious persecution. If you |
| of cruelty would begin to burn in the hearts | | | | were to meet a man of another country |
| of men, as it would end in scorching the | | | | desiring to enter yours, for the sake of |
| lives of the innocent. Before mankind | | | | living a life with his family with a higher |
| decided to turn family into society, to turn | | | | quality of life, would you honestly tell him |
| villages into cities, to turn government into | | | | no? If he had been living in a nation where |
| empire, all of the world was the property of | | | | to be a child meant to be homeless, where the |
| all men and all creatures. When it came to | | | | crime rate and the unemployment rate were |
| movement, there was no restrictions, no | | | | enormous, where the constant cry for the |
| embargos. The imaginary lines we call | | | | hunger pains echoed through the ghettos, |
| borders today would only be able to exist in | | | | would you say to him, that you cannot let him |
| the nightmare of primitive man. There was no | | | | into this country, and then plead with us |
| obstruction, no limitations. When a person | | | | that you had defended justice? Perhaps he |
| decided to travel south to the warmth, or | | | | speaks another language, perhaps his skin |
| north to the temperate, or west to the ocean, | | | | tone is lighter or darker, perhaps he |
| or east to the forest, there were no | | | | worships a different god. As a tolerant |
| impositions. There were no walls. These men | | | | people, we would reject all of these things |
| and women of the primitive world never had to | | | | as elements that could make us regard this |
| fear for customs checks, never had to worry | | | | man differently. He is a human being, with |
| about search and seizures. There was no | | | | passions, and desires, and hopes, and |
| authority, there was no fear. The world was | | | | emotions, like any of us. It would be for |
| owned by every man, and this was the greatest | | | | the sake of justice, not any emotionalism, |
| comfort to every individual.As society grew | | | | that we were to let him into our nation. If |
| and civilization took root in the history of | | | | our own economic policy was effective, then |
| mankind, borders would be arranged by both | | | | it must be accepted that this man would |
| law and custom. Individuals would be | | | | create his own wealth, and add to the riches |
| prohibited from travelling to certain spots. | | | | of everyone else.Think of what mankind has |
| In some cases, it was the land the individual | | | | done in order to keep these borders alive. |
| left that would hold them back. In others, | | | | There are politicians who exist right now |
| it was the land the individual was entering | | | | that are bent on making sure these borders |
| that put up walls. For a law to designate | | | | are recognized. They want to see a certain |
| one region from another was not enough. | | | | and unflinching duty in the guards who patrol |
| Fences would be erected, and in place of | | | | these borders. They want these soldiers to |
| these fences, soon walls would rise, and | | | | believe that poverty was caused by something |
| watch towers would be created, with the aid | | | | besides borders and Capitalism. Asside from |
| of soldiers patrolling and scowering. All of | | | | the soldiers, they want to see every person |
| this would be created by the authorities of | | | | in another country look to these borders and |
| the world, enforced by the greatest armies | | | | feel fear, sense pain... Our politicians |
| and the most threatening warriors. It almost | | | | would have it so that our nation was |
| seemed as though people would be boxed in, | | | | completely locked up from the rest of the |
| forced to stand in area of land and refused | | | | world if their will was unchecked power. As |
| to go anywhere. When we listen to our great | | | | children are starving to death in foreign |
| demagogues and rabblerousers, our most | | | | nations, as men and women are still burned at |
| thoughtful lecturers and speakers, we | | | | the stake for religious persecution, as |
| discover always a love of liberty. There is | | | | disease infects and destroys these already |
| always a praise of freedom: that a man can do | | | | crumbling bodies of children, as the vices of |
| what he wants, what he desires, without | | | | mankind spread at a rate equal to war, the |
| obstruction from an outter source, so long as | | | | first words of the politician will be, |
| he harms no other person. It has been this | | | | "Innocent or guilty, just or unjust, those |
| ethic, this creed, that has been woven in the | | | | people cannot come in to our country." |
| fabric of every revolution aiming to overturn | | | | Whether looking for the long lost touch of |
| an injustice. Without this love of liberty, | | | | their family, their lovers, their friends, or |
| society would be a dreary and thoughtless | | | | whether seeking to escape emminent |
| musing.With this love of liberty, there is no | | | | persecution for ideals, there are some cases |
| doubt that we want to be able to walk where | | | | where a person will accept the status of |
| we may, or to travel to whatever lands that | | | | "refugee" when it means escaping.We look to |
| capture our heart's desire. The fact of the | | | | the freedom to explore ideas, thoughts, and |
| prehistory man, that all of the world is the | | | | philosophies as perhaps one of the greatest |
| common property of mankind, this is the ethic | | | | of all freedoms. It is the liberty that |
| that we wish to uphold. When we find | | | | stands as the greatest guardian against |
| ourselves surrounded with borders, threatened | | | | tyranny. To deny it would be to advance |
| with punishment if we should violate one of | | | | arguments on behalf of every unjust |
| these borders, we feel that liberty is | | | | government. And yet, while this right is |
| needed, that the people must be allowed to | | | | upheld by Civil Rights groups and active |
| have freedom. When we read the history of | | | | citizen meetings, the freedom to explore the |
| the Soviet Union, we are appalled. We find | | | | world is hindered. We find borders, lined |
| that people were not allowed to emigrate. | | | | with armed towers and walls, circulating |
| Similarly, when we read the history of the | | | | guards; and the man who is trying to escape |
| United States, we are also appalled. We find | | | | the persecution of his own land comes only to |
| that people were not allowed to immigrate. | | | | find this. As I said earlier, the world was |
| It almost seems as though a gross, unjust | | | | once the common property of mankind. In that |
| restriction is necessary to any government. | | | | era, one that almost reached complete bliss, |
| Why should people be held, chained, shackled, | | | | there was never a war spawned from property |
| by their governments? It will only create a | | | | conflicts, never an argument based on borders |
| state of oppressed versus oppressor.Why would | | | | or imaginary lines. Everything belonged to |
| a man, or a woman, ever desire to move about? | | | | everyone, and as this idea flowed through the |
| Above all things, there is the desire to | | | | minds of these early tribesmen, they would |
| test the limits of freedom. We have read | | | | never think for a moment that their ancestors |
| poetry by great individuals, who talked about | | | | would forget. They did not have the vision |
| the struggle they championed for their | | | | to imagine great towers and great walls; they |
| rights. We have heard music, with lyrics | | | | never saw their kin murdering each other, the |
| that discussed hardship and unity. We have | | | | victimizer motivated by a paycheck and |
| solemnly reread those poems in our head, | | | | threats from superiors, the victim motivated |
| quietly hummed the tune of those songs, and | | | | at an honest chance of life. The early |
| have always held those authors, those poets, | | | | tribesmen never saw this, their shamen |
| those musicians, those creators and | | | | conjuring up unreliable spirits and mystical |
| cultivators in adoration. We wanted to test | | | | beings could not predict anything like |
| this freedom! I want to be able to climb any | | | | this.It was called a crime by the United |
| mountain, as high as I can. I want to be | | | | States government when the Soviets put up the |
| dance in praries, sing songs in caves, sleep | | | | Berlin Wall and separated families and |
| on the beach, write poetry on a grassy hill! | | | | friends. Many of them died trying to reach |
| These people, truly the best citizens of the | | | | their children, their lovers, their brethren. |
| world, who have desired to travel to test the | | | | They were gunned down by the soldiers of a |
| limits of freedom -- what do you think would | | | | Totalitarian regime. If it is true that the |
| happen if they came to a "No Trespassing!" | | | | Soviet government committed a crime in |
| sing? What would do you think would have | | | | separating an entire city, then we must all |
| happened if they came to fence with barbed | | | | agree that the United States government is |
| wire? Or, what if they came to a towering | | | | equally guilty of committing a crime. Nay, |
| wall, armed with violent guards and soldiers, | | | | we are more guilty! The Soviets divided a |
| who have been taught all their life that you | | | | city, we divide a continent! Whatever the |
| are a part of the criminal element? The only | | | | amount of East Berliners that have been shot |
| humane and logical answer is this: you would | | | | down by their own soldiers, I imagine that |
| think that a great breach of justice had been | | | | American soldiers are guilty for having shot |
| committed.We are not discussing here the | | | | down ten times as many! It is a crime, and |
| right to read what you want, or the right to | | | | these walls, these barriers, these borders |
| think as you may, or the right to say what is | | | | all must come down... Life,Punkerslut (or |
| troubling your mind. This is not a matter of | | | | Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and |
| censorship of opinions. It is not a matter | | | | poetry on social issues which have caught his |
| of gun control, or abortion, or leftist | | | | attention for several years. His website |
| versus rightist ideology in economics. No. | | | | provides a complete list of all of these |
| This is a simple matter of freedom. Among | | | | writings. His life experience includes |
| these great freedoms, it is the freedom to | | | | homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, |
| walk and go anywhere that you please, and to | | | | dropping out of high school, getting expelled |
| do so with that admirable thought in your | | | | from college for "subversive activities," and |
| heart, that this world belongs to you as much | | | | a myriad of other revolutionary actions. |
| as it does to any other person. To go forth, | | | | |