"I can do what I want... it's a free country!"

"I can do what I want... it's a free country!"

It absolutely infuriates me when I hear one of my fellow Americans - usually some uneducated lowlife on a tirade - spit out those words.

For instance...

Just because you don't like what I sell in my shop doesn't mean you can physically stop people from entering and patronizing, or block the entrance, or trespass to protest.

An officer of the law does NOT have the right to hassle me in my daily affairs, unless I am doing something wrong. Until he has probable cause, we're just two citizens with the same rights as each other. And such an officer has no right to question me, unless I am under arrest.

You do not have the right to say or write falsehoods about another individual. That's slander or libel.

If you take part on a message board (such as this one) you HAVE NO RIGHTS. It is the property of the owners of the site, and you can post there at THEIR discretion, HOW and WHEN they choose. It's their prerogative to censor your posts, or ban you outright.

What rights you do have DO NOT travel with you, should you leave the country. I once saw a woman arguing with customs over something... she planted her hands on her hips, and defiantly said "YES I CAN do that, I'm an American, and I have the freedom of... blah blah blah". It's folks like YOU that give the rest of us a bad name.

I wonder if other countries with various personal liberties have these same sort of people making these same sorts of claims...

i know how you feel, but everyday i come across people with the exact opposite attitude.

"whats britan done for me"
"i,m not british...i'm my own person"

it's people like this who make me doubt my fellow countrymen/women.
i do have an idea to solve this problem, but i wont post it because involves guns and brick walls.

Actually it's funny you bring this up, me and my friend were having a drink at the bar and he said he felt like having a bourbon and coke. I replied "hey it's a free country" He paused for a moment and said, "I haven't heard that saying in a long time". Pondering that I would have to say I haven't either. I feel that the heart of the matter is we are not free anymore, granted a lot better off than some others in the world but not the country we used to be...:shk:

And to blame it all on a particular political party is not right, constitutional shots have been taken from both sides of the fence. Oh well you keep people arguing with each other long enough they will forget what it was they were arguing about and attack each other. This is the way the government likes it though, while everyone is throwing verbal rocks at each other they take erasers to the constitution.

You took this rant from Maddox. You should be ashamed.

Originally posted by Hobbes
An officer of the law does NOT have the right to hassle me in my daily affairs, unless I am doing something wrong. Until he has probable cause, we're just two citizens with the same rights as each other. And such an officer has no right to question me, unless I am under arrest.

co-sign to the fullest. (to the fullest meaning to the fullest extent for all the non hipsters)

I too hear that phrase all too often regarding things that have nothing to do with the freedoms granted by the country.

Contrary to some people's beliefs, it is not written anywhere that you can walk down the middle of a highway simply because there aren't any cars coming at the time. Yes it's a free country... but you can't do whatever you want.

The term free country, refers to the fact that anyone can run for government positions... it does not have any bearing on the laws that that particular government passes. Quite frankly, the laws could be really opressive, and the country still regarded as a free country, so long as you have the ability to run for government yourself.

Originally posted by Paresthesia
You took this rant from Maddox. You should be ashamed.

Actually, I had never heard of the guy, before. But, thanks to the wonder of Google, I can tell that I'll be getting no work done today, as I read his stuff. Thanks Google!

But, seriously, thanks for the baseless accusation of plagiarism. I don't suppose it could be possible for two unrelated folks to share an opinion?

"Freedom of speech does indeed exists, so as long as you don't speak it."
-MadSeason313.

If you've ever seen V is for Vendetta, you should be somewhat thankful for the "rights" we do have. I would rather say that a president sucks out loud and get the "evil" eye, than a black bag over the head and never to return again.

[edit on 2-3-2007 by MadSeason313]

Originally posted by MadSeason313


If you've ever seen V is for Vendetta, you should be somewhat thankful for the "rights" we do have. I would rather say that a president sucks out loud and get the "evil" eye, than a black bag over the head and never to return again.

[edit on 2-3-2007 by MadSeason313]

to true...some people dont realise how good they have it.

The next time somebody says that, just tell them to go yell "FIRE!" in the middle of a restaraunt.

Yeah, we're free, but nobody's 100% free...

Would we want to be 100% free? I can't possibly think of a justification.

I've talked with self-proclaimed 'anarchists' that will even admit, when pressed, that they like some semblance of rule and law.