I’m sure we’ve all heard about it by now and read the various articles on the Supreme Court’s ruling over Hobby Lobby and birth control. Liberals claim it’s about womens’ rights. Conservatives claim it’s about religious rights. Libertarians say it’s bigger than both.
I’m talking about freedom (it is the 4th of July after all*); freedom for all people, not just the “religious”. It’s unfortunate that the Supreme Court’s ruling only served to restore liberty to a particular section of society, as if they somehow have the right to more liberty than others. Our country was founded with the idea of liberty for all; liberty that is naturally belonging to each individual and not something granted by a group of individuals called “the government”. It is not proper for these individuals comprising the government, through coercion or force, to take what belongs to one individual and demand it be given to another, e.g. taking individuals’ money and forcing them to provide birth control for other individuals. There is no righteousness in such actions, it is theft pure and simple. Regardless of whether it is done in the name of needs, wants, or societal benefits, when you forcefully take from another, it is stealing from them and violating their liberty. The Affordable Care Act, Social Security, and Business Subsidies are all prime examples of one group of people taking from another group of people and redistributing to yet a third group of people.
It is time for our country to recognize once more the liberty that belongs to us, the liberty that was defended on behalf of us, the liberty that is increasingly denied to us. It is time we start demanding our freedom and at the same time, stop rejecting others their freedom.
*As my wife likes to point out, July 2nd is the date we legally separated from Britain and therefore our real Independence Day.
The Rogue Economist 