IT'S A FREE COUNTRY...
We used to hear that phrase all the time back in the 60's, 70's, and even 80's. Anytime someone took an issue with another persons personal behavior or activities this phrase would seemingly put an end to the argument almost immediately.
You see a person smoking.... IT'S A FREE COUNTRY!
You see a person wearing skimpy cloths ... IT'S A FREE COUNTRY!
You see a person living out of their car.... IT'S A FREE COUNTRY!
You see a person handing out flyers for a church... IT'S A FREE COUNTRY!
When did this phrase go out of style? When did we become such a country of nannies where everyone's business is OUR business? So what if a person decides to send a 10-year old and a 6-year old to the park on their own... that's the parent's decision ... not yours! So what if a parent sends their kid to school with a sandwich and a Hostess Ho-Ho for lunch.... that's their business and not yours! So what if a high school student wants to have their rifle or archery bow in their senior picture... that's their business and it's not hurting anyone. So what if eating fast food is not as healthy as making my own home cooked meal.... it's my body and my business.
Imagine the different results if a person concerning themselves with each of the cases above said the words "It's a free country!" as they contemplated what to do next. I believe it would change their outlook and their decision making in each of the cases. But instead we have a world where everybody has their fingers in everybody's pie and making an awful mess of things while we are at it. There isn't a day that goes buy that you don't hear a story about some person somewhere reporting a person for some violation of their social-contract. Either they are not raising their kids they way you think they should or you think they might possible offend someone somewhere and they should be stopped before that something happens.
Take for example a 17 year-old girl who had cancer who wished to refuse treatment (see here ).
The state stepped in and denied her wish to be let alone and forced her to be given medical treatment. Her body belongs to the state in their opinion (at least until the age of 18) and they could dictate to her what must be done. Today, her cancer is in remission and now a precedent has been laid for others to follow. Many new cases will point to this case and say "See? We were right about that case and so we must be right about this one as well!". Combine this case with the topic of vaccinations and dangers to "public safety" and you will have a dangerous 1-2 punch against parental control. If vaccinations must be enforced, then why not ADHD medicine or other psychiatric drugs? Why not contraception or sterilization? If the doctors are always right, then why have parents in the doctors office at all? Since their only purpose would be to agree to whatever the doctor prescribes they could save a lot of time by just staying in the waiting room while their child is taken care of and they can pay the bills (or the government pay them). Of course many will say, "I don't think that will ever happen in THIS country!" but none of them will say it CAN'T happen. They say, "I was just trying to help this one girl. I didn't want to see her die needlessly". But like the old adage goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".
