I will be honest with the reader: I believe that freedom as it has been known is in serious danger. This is not because of any external threat from the Chinese or Islamists, but rather due to the staggering ignorance of our own people.
The sad truth about our Democracy is that very few of us seem to understand how it even works. We think that the law can criminalize identity: this man is gay, therefore he belongs in prison; that woman is racist, therefore her life must be ruined.
But identity is not, nor has it ever been, a cause for justice. Regardless of who or what a person is, if they are minding their own business and staying out of trouble, then their private proclivities are no one's business but their own. Only when their actions endanger others are they even of relevance in a court of law.
In fact, the exact opposite is often the case: in a zealous effort to condemn a suspected eccentric, very serious crimes are themselves committed, by either the authorities or vigilantists, which not only exculpate their victim, but also place the harassers themselves in significant legal jeopardy.
But to the extent that these age-old freedoms are not understood, they are in danger of being permanently lost. And freedom's only true alternative – tyranny – stands ready, willing and able to rule in its absence.
So to summarize: behavior can be criminalized, but identity cannot. And if you fail to understand that one basic fact, you are more dangerous to your country than any foreign adversary ever will be.
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