Sometimes I get depressed at the constant chiseling away at Freedom. I see only the news of another restrictive law passed and hear only the clamors for yet another law. Then a run of the mill event reminds me that I still live among free people. Tonight, I went to our High School Varsity Football Banquet. Ho hum. Another long boring meeting. Ho hum, football. Hey! There was cake. and steak. and I love football, but that is beside the point. The purpose of the evening was to honor the players, but in the process we also thanked the many parents and businesses who made the season happen, which brought home to me that Free Association is still alive.
The people who put in those hours are exercising their Right To Free Association. They get together to do something they think is important for their community. That football is not particularly important ( bite your tongue!) is irrelevant. Across America neighbors and strangers act together to improve their communities in innumerable ways: organizing and manning recreational sports, 10K runs for charity, roadside and creek bed trash pickup, youth organizations, school fund-raisers, tutoring and mentoring, homeless shelters, rebuilding New Orleans, searches for missing persons, choirs, church councils, PTA, the St.Vincent DePaul society, and veterans support groups. Even Code Pink and other political demonstrations are examples of Americans exercising their Right to Freedom of Association. I could go on -how about the many, many different groups doing all kinds of things to support our troops? - and I hope you will take a minute to think of more examples. Note that our blood supply is secured through voluntary association.
Do you remember back in late 2003, some Iraqis went to the Marines to demand garbage pick-up? Someone remarked, in effect, that, in America we do not call the Marines for something the residents could do for themselves. Why? Because Free People act for themselves and their community. They do not wait for The Powers That Be to come take care of it for them.
I have focused on those Free Associations which have a community or institution building goal, but Free Association does not require that it be done for the community or for any "good" at all. Take Teh Wheel. While its original members did come together for a worthy goal, Sinner established Teh Wheel for us to have fun together. We choose to associate with each other ( some more than others). Sinner, the Internet, and the individual gerbils made it happen. Our Right To Associate guarantees it will continue to happen as long as we want it to.
So celebrate Freedom! Go associate! Or not. Freedom to Associate includes the Right to not join any group.
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3 comments:
"Freedom to Associate includes the Right to not join any group."
I wish that were always true in the workplace. I'm free to pay my money and join the Union, or pay my money and not join the Union, but pay I will and the amount will be the same.
Because Free People act for themselves and their community. They do not wait for The Powers That Be to come take care of it for them.
K8y!
this is exactly what i thought when i saw the new tom hanks movie about afghanistan.
free people acting for themselves.
and on my way to work the other day there was some guy on BBC saying essentially the same thing about the failure of the international community in afghanistan... the afghans have to do it for themselves... the international community can't make that country work.
i know. this isn't what you were talking about exactly. but it all runs together for me... the afghans, the north carolinians, the houstonians who want the government to guarantee safety and full stomachs and etc. etc. etc.
blech.
SqueaK, Cousin!! I'm so happy to be associating with you! Anxious to catch up with all that I've missed but for now I need a nap.
see ya...
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