This Might Be Hard To Hear But...

Someone's got to say it...

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Freedom is Free

People (in this country) always says "Freedom isn't free." (usually in support of military)  And for the longest time I believed them.  But something about it always bothered me.  I mean aside from the obvious logical contradiction which is admittedly catchy and provocative.

Well, they're wrong.  Freedom is free.  It doesn't take any more than simply being alive to be free.

What isn't free is oppression.  And the subsequent opposition to oppression.  Those are not free.  In fact, those are really expensive.

"Freedom isn't free" assumes there'll always be oppression and they'll always be a need to fight against it.  But why does that have to be true??

"Freedom isn't free" assumes there'll always be good guys and bad guys -- us and them.

Here's another idea -- wouldn't you rather create a world where we lived in peace so everyone just lived free?  Automatically.  Naturally.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

The Greatest Speech Ever Made.

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Do Not Enter.  Good idea.

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It's quicker to say "world wide web" than "WWW".

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

The American Dream Film

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Love is about appreciation.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Welcome to the dictatorship.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Hating your life?

[wearenottrayvonmartin]

We are not Trayvon Martin.  In flying into the U.S. just before Christmas my wife, a well-dressed white woman with short(ish) blonde hair was chosen out of the customs line randomly for a full customs inspection.  In the inspection room we found ourselves alongside a half-dozen African and South Asian men who were having every item of their luggage pulled out and inspected.  We, however, had a suitcase full of nicely wrapped presents.  The kindly inspector asked us what was in the boxes and we responded ‘books’, ‘clothes’ and things for friends and family.  She then told us we could zip up the luggage and wished us a Merry Christmas.  

We were ashamed as we shuffled past the harassed racially-profiled people who were not facing the same ‘light touch’ as us.

We are not Trayvon Martin.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Check out other submissions at: http://wearenottrayvonmartin.com

Still think you're Trayvon Martin?  Or are you George Zimmerman?

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Are you George Zimmerman?

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice

"Our current punishment philosophy does nothing for no one.  That's the orientation we have to change."

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Those Racist People

There's so much anger.  So tell me, what are you doing today to end racism?  Is the finger-pointing working?  Are you showing the world so much love and compassion that hearts are changing?

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

You are beautiful.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

Just a bit of communication gap.  How about we stop using those words all together?

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

You know, patriotism.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

James Baldwin on why public education fails.

[thismightbehardtohearbut]

That's not problem solving, that's problem delaying.