"but do not enjoy anything like the kind of freedom American citizens enjoyed as little as a hundred, of even sixty, years ago."
See, that's just it. If you live in a lilly-White ivory tower, you *might* be able to tell yourself that we were more free 70 years ago when FDR made it illegal to own gold, when Jim Crowe meant that Blacks couldn't vote, and when women were legally kept out of military colleges and many universities, as well as actively discriminated against (both women and Blacks) in numerous professions such as Medical, Legal, and in corporate boardrooms.
And whether it was a Democrat like FDR banning gold, or a fascist temperance movement banning alcohol and gambling, or Democrats using Blacks as living medical experiments against their will (i.e. without consent) ala the Tuskegee Experiment that lasted up until recently, it just doesn't matter to these people. They don't care that a Republican like Nixon ended the ban on owning gold. they don't care who shut down unethical and illegal medical experiments. They don't care that Republicans died in the streets of the South registering Blacks to vote in the face of the Democratic Party machine's opposition (all of the policemen were Democrats who beat the civil rights marchers on the Edmund Petus Bridge here in Alabama, for instance).
Oh no, forget facts. Forget our history. Some people are so uneducated and so isolated in their own little worlds that they think we were more free 60 years ago when the military was segregated and half of the South had restraunts with "No Coloreds" signs. They don't even know that their precious Hollywood and NYC and their anti-Black racism was why early American TV had White men made up in "blackface" to play Black roles rather than hire Black men...or that blood in Illinois and New Jersey had to be certified as White or Colored at one point, lest some White union schmuck get Black blood into him from an operation.
Even forgetting racism and sexism, America of 20, 30, and 40 years ago had widespread bans on civilians carrying firearms. It's only been in the last 15 years that CCW has swept our great nation, re-empowering the individual again.
10 years ago it was illegal, yes, illegal to make a profit from anything on the internet, too. The eBay concept was illegal. Amazon.com's concept was illegal. Free Republic taking donations was in the gray area back then. Trading stocks via the Internet was likewise illegal.
Heck, in two weeks the Assault Weapons Ban will expire, yet we'll still hear these same know-nothings tell us that we're less free today than in the past.
We've armed our pilots, repealing the first federal gun control regulations in our history, yet these know-nothings will claim that we are less free today than back when pilots couldn't pack heat.
How embarassing it must be for the few who spout such nonsense to finally realize that we are *all* more free today than in the past 160 years, and for women and Blacks, that we are more free today than ever before in history.
5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
But, "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem," Ronald Reagan eloquently stated.
The freedom enjoyed by American citizens in the first one hundred fifty years of this country were not the result of the kind of government we had, but the fact there was so little of it. We have essentially the same kind of government today, but do not enjoy anything like the kind of freedom American citizens enjoyed as little as a hundred, of even sixty, years ago.
[From the article]
See, that's just it. If you live in a lilly-White ivory tower, you *might* be able to tell yourself that we were more free 70 years ago
We the people, - [the socalled 'white' majority] - unarguably were. However, no one claims that it was a perfect society.
when FDR made it illegal to own gold,
-[unconstitutional edict]-
when Jim Crowe meant that Blacks couldn't vote,
-[unconstitutional]-
and when women were legally kept out of military colleges and many universities,
-[freedom of association]- <
as well as actively discriminated against (both women and Blacks) in numerous professions such as Medical, Legal, and in corporate boardrooms.
We can all agree that these were unconstitutional disciminations if written into federal,state, or local ~law~. Most were not. They were custom, bigoted nasty customs to be sure, but writing law to enforce 'customs & moralities' is not easily done in a free republic. We lose the freedom of free association.
And whether it was a Democrat like FDR banning gold, or a fascist temperance movement banning alcohol and gambling, or Democrats using Blacks as living medical experiments against their will (i.e. without consent) ala the Tuskegee Experiment that lasted up until recently, it just doesn't matter to these people.
All those unconstitutional acts "mattered" to a LOT of people.. On gold & booze they were outvoted by a tyranny of the majority, -- for a while.. - Then the system corrected itself.
They don't care that a Republican like Nixon ended the ban on owning gold. they don't care who shut down unethical and illegal medical experiments. They don't care that Republicans died in the streets of the South registering Blacks to vote in the face of the Democratic Party machine's opposition (all of the policemen were Democrats who beat the civil rights marchers on the Edmund Petus Bridge here in Alabama, for instance). Oh no, forget facts. Forget our history.
Such a sad, emotional little appeal. No one is forgetting history, southack. We are learning from it in some areas, [civil rights], but ignoring it in others [big government doesn't work].
Some people are so uneducated and so isolated in their own little worlds that they think we were more free 60 years ago when the military was segregated and half of the South had restraunts with "No Coloreds" signs.
Yep, 'we' were, blacks weren't. -- That's been changed for the better. Many other individual freedoms have been lost.
They don't even know that their precious Hollywood and NYC and their anti-Black racism was why early American TV had White men made up in "blackface" to play Black roles rather than hire Black men...or that blood in Illinois and New Jersey had to be certified as White or Colored at one point, lest some White union schmuck get Black blood into him from an operation.
Sigh. -- Amos & Andy was radio show on TV. Get over it. The two state 'laws' were obviously unconstitutional. Get real.
Even forgetting racism and sexism, America of 20, 30, and 40 years ago had widespread bans on civilians carrying firearms.
Again, unconstitutional. There are lots of unconstitutional laws on the books, hack. They don't prove ~your~ point.
It's only been in the last 15 years that CCW has swept our great nation, re-empowering the individual again.
Under State control & regulation, however. But CCW is a start.
10 years ago it was illegal, yes, illegal to make a profit from anything on the internet, too. The eBay concept was illegal. Amazon.com's concept was illegal. Free Republic taking donations was in the gray area back then. Trading stocks via the Internet was likewise illegal.
A few good laws increasing our individual freedoms do not balance the thousands passed in the same period that decreased them, hack. YOu are simply in denial.
Heck, in two weeks the Assault Weapons Ban will expire, yet we'll still hear these same know-nothings tell us that we're less free today than in the past.
Amusing. -- In 1932 there were NO federal gun laws. Now you claim that we are the "know-nothings"? look in the mirror hack.
We've armed our pilots, repealing the first federal gun control regulations in our history, yet these know-nothings will claim that we are less free today than back when pilots couldn't pack heat.
Pilots were disarmed before the NFA?
How embarassing it must be for the few who spout such nonsense to finally realize that we are *all* more free today than in the past 160 years, and for women and Blacks, that we are more free today than ever before in history. 5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
And we will soon have another version of it no matter which 'party' wins the White House.
You live in a dream world hack.
Blacks, Gold, Politics, Racism, Sexism, Taxes and Self Defense are the issues you speak of.
You praise the court system and our government legislators for correcting social errors in these topics.
Ronald Reagan eloquently stated "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem,".
Well, you should know me by now. You registered Oct 4, 1998 and I came along Jan 18, 2000 after lurking for a year or so. I just have to shake these good threads to make sure everything worth while has been talked about.
Did American society require the Federal Courts to ensure equal-rights legislation?
Blacks were bound to second class citizenship by America's U.S. Supreme Court in the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)which upheld "separate but equal" facilities. Segregation of Blacks from Whites was formally approved and
legitimized.
It wasn't until WWII that some outlawing of discrimination in defense industries (1941) took place. After the war, partial desegregation of the armed forces (1948) started to occur.
Ending the segregationist practices and racial inequalities that were court ordered across the nation and particularly in the South was of much value to our nation. I have had some interesting experiences concerning "separate but equal" facilities".
I think this separatism would have occurred on it's own, just much slower.
President Nixon's decision to de-link the dollar from the gold standard, wasn't done for yours or my benefit. The system of fixed monetary currency convertibility was in serious trouble.
Foreign Banks at the held roughly 80 billion dollars or 8 times the supply of US gold reserves.
The Smithsonian Agreement prevented the freefall of the Dollar if the Europeans had forced their credit claims and currency speculators went wild. This agreement also cost a 10 percent devaluation of US currency.
Do you still want to say Thank you?
I have been instructed to own both and I do so only because my consultants have proven their worth to me previously.
Politics. WOW! That's a subject we have both ranted on for years. Politicians are known to be self centered and corrupt. Most of them are attorneys whom I wouldn't hire to write me a contract for the sale of a dog house.
Without their Chief of Staff, 98% couldn't analyze the effects on society of a Bill let alone write one.
Sexism is a great topic. During WWII most of our warplanes were built by our moms and grandmothers. I've seen a farmers wife operate a round roll hay baler which drops 1 ton bales as smoothly as an Olympic skater.
When women keep themselves covered up they can work beside men with no problem. Would you hire a gal who likes tight clothes to work with the crew? Just watch production fall and the accident rate increase.
Yes, it is their right to walk around with 60% of their skin exposed and no bra. Just don't even try and tell me that I have to hire her.
The easiest way to settle the "female soldier on the front lines" problem is to form a volunteer battalion of 100% women. In five years when the battalion is not fully staffed cancel the idea.
Taxes another good subject. How much would everyones taxes drop if we did not have such loose regulations for social services? Or if we shut down half of the new state and federal agencies. The three and four letter agencies" (alphabet soup) that have appeared in the last forty years. All of a sudden we cannot survive without them! BS!
Self Defense is going to become shoot, shovel and shut up if the cities don't quit trying to turn America into a Great Britain.
Most of these problems are ones we have created for ourselves. Will society ever retreat from the "gains"? Of course not. Not a chance in Hell.
