This question is for US citizens?

Question

I have read over and over how many of you feel you have lost your freedoms here in the US. So my question is please list the freedoms that you have lost (be specific), and where were you before if anywhere that offered you more freedom than the US?

Answer 1

I imagine that my emails, my telephone communications and my financial transactions are monitored or at least subject to monitoring. I'm sure there are emails or telephone calls that I'd rather not be out there in public, and it'd be nice if the whole world didn't know if I paid a bill late or bought a few too many things online.

On the other hand, I seriously doubt that the government is in any way interested in finding out about my personal conversations with my wife or friends. I have nothing to hide from the government and I'm pretty sure they see it the same way.

In exchange for this monitoring I know I'm a lot safer here than I would otherwise be. This country has way too many moving parts to be completely defended from terrorists. Period. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves. However I feel that the government is doing something substantial to minimize the impact that unbound terrorists would otherwise have.

The exchange between any of my rights that might be impacted and what I get in return would seem to be heavily in my favor.

I'm not excusing this administration or the government in general for the screw ups that seem to occur regularly. There are a lot of problems that don't need to be there, and frankly there are way too many in the government (and that includes congress) that just plain aren't very trustworthy. All I'm suggesting is that in these times, I -- most of us -- come out ahead.

Thanks for the great question.

Answer 2

This has nothing to do with what freedoms I have lost, so much as a freedom I have never had.

I'm gay, and I have a foreign lover who cannot immigrate to the USA by marrying me.

I spent time in Germany, and if I had a German boyfriend, I could marry him AND gain German citizenship, never mind the fact that I have never paid ANY German taxes in my life...of course if I had a German boyfriend and married him--which is legal--then I'd probably get pounded for back taxes or something. But the fact that I am an American and can't marry the person I want to spend the rest of my life with is a double whammy. Not only to I not have the right to marry the person I choose, legally, but HE doesn't have the right to take advantage of all of those things the Statue of Liberty promises...which is I suppose is why I'm going to HIS country to live with him. It's cheaper for me than him getting a sponsor to come here...but in a really twisted way, that also points to a rare freedom I have as an American...I can keep my citizenship, go somewhere else and eventually take advantage of more libertine views than here, all because I have the freedom to do that. How ironic is that?

Answer 3

I have always lived in the US, never have been out of the country. I have not lost any specific freedoms that I can put my finger on. I feel that there is large sense of mistrust of arab american's. As a group I think they have lost something. Since 911 they are looked at and viewed differently. A little mistrusted and not very well understood

Answer 4

Good question. I do not feel that I have lost any of my freedoms or rights under the US Constitution. As is normal with any national emergency, the Congress of the United States has overwhelmingly and with bipartisan support passed the Patriot Act which sets some exceptions and more narrowly defined interpretations of some basic rights and freedoms. As with any new law or act, this is being challenged and further defined in the courts -- as is the system in the USA. The tenor of much of the criticism of this new Act has been pointedly "anti-Bush"; whereas, it is the Congress, and overwhelmingly so, that has fomented this change in response to the attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September. I have utmost faith the in workings of the US government to sort this out without abridging any of my rights and freedoms.

I would like to add the following (for a humorous and insightful addition to this subject):

Americans Know Their Simpsons, but Not Their Rights
D’oh! A recent survey conducted by McCormick Tribune Foundation showed that while 52 percent of Americans can name at least two characters of the Simpsons TV cartoon family, only 28 percent are able to name more than one of the five fundamental freedoms granted to them by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The random telephone survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted Jan. 20-22, 2006 by Synovate, an independent market research firm.

The five First Amendment freedoms, and the percentage of those surveyed who were able to name them:

* Freedom of speech (69 percent)
* Freedom of Religion (24 percent)
* Freedom of the Press (11 percent)
* Freedom of Assembly (10 percent)
* Freedom to Petition for Redress of Grievances (1 percent)

One in five respondents said the First Amendment granted them the right to own and raise pets, as well as the right to drive.

“These survey results clearly demonstrate that many Americans don’t have an understanding of the freedoms they regularly enjoy,” said Dave Anderson, executive director, McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum in a press release.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/a/217060.htm

Answer 5

Once I could tell a coworker that I thought her dress looked nice. Now I will be fired and the company sued for sexual harassment. That would be freedom of speech. I have always lived here, the "place" that was better was the past. The past is to be learned from not lived in. So if you over patriotic people will quit living on Americas past glory we can keep America a glorious nation. Thank you for letting me vent.

Answer 6

Yes I lost my freedom once when I was so drunk that I was walking down the middle of the street and I jumped onto a moving volkswagen (with a bunch of girls in it). Needless to say the cops took me to the drunk tank. I lost my freedom and it was a cold place to be for almost two days.

Answer 7

OH you want an answer to that? good. First of all, I should tell you I am gay. Here it goes.

I never 'lost' any rights...well because they only 'right' I ever had was to live. Up until a few yrs ago, gays, blacks and women were legally and openly discriminated against. In many states, gays still are. In Utah I can still be insulted and treated poorly on the jobsite. It is true in other states too, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee...more?
Now, people feel they are loosing rights because:

The Patriot Act, I am sure you have read and understood it with all the blacked out portions. Your library records can be searched, and you, if so desired and by discretion of the officer, can be detained for ANY reason and possibly be put in jail and held as an "enemy combatant" for harboring a fingernail file you failed to disclaim...yes it IS true, nothing in it says that you must be crotching a shank and an AK 47 to be held...and if they REALLY want to, they can hold you. Those 2 in and of themselves are loss of privacy and the right to not be wrongly incarcerated.

What I would like YOU to explain to US is...if you weren't white and hetero, would you truly and honestly be able to put yourself in the shoes of a minority (immigrant, black, gay) and think what you think?

this is America...you do NOT elect the president, electoral college does. You do NOT have to right to refuse a search of your car if you are pulled over, they can and WILL get a warrant to do so. You do NOT really own the home you paid in full for, try not paying property taxes on it year after year after year after year on an item you were already taxed on and see. If you are non-white and drive thru a strictly white neighborhood you can and WILL be pulled over if seen.

I understand your patriotism. I wish I could feel the same. But, I am gay...can you blame me? I do NOT have the right to my husband's estate DESPITE the fact we lived 40 years together (of course a will would negate that but if YOU shack up with some guy for 40 yrs and HE dies, well, you get it no questions asked). In fact, I do NOT even have the right to visit him on his death bed if his family does not agree so. So, I wipe my butt with your patriotism. Screw you and your sweet, lily white bag of privilege.

Answer 8

What most of us mean about losing our freedoms is that we're not used to being spied on by the secret police, as many other countries have done for long periods of time. We're used to being able to go about our business without having to answer to any official busybody who happens to come along. (As long as we are law-abiding, and aren't causing some civil disturbance, of course!)

Answer 9

The ACLU has done it's level best to limit the Free speech of Christians in the public square. Even taking towns to court where the vast majority wanted a nativity at the county court house.

The Supreme Courts recent Eminate Domain ruling saying government can take an individual's land and give it to another individual.

The Supreme Court ruled that donating money to a political party was free speech. Then the campaign finance laws freely violating that right.

Private businesses not being allowed to decide if they want to be smoke free or not.

That being said we are still in better shape than all other countries because we still have the right of self-determination. As long as we

Answer 10

Those who put in that they've lost their "freedoms" here in the US, aren't the example of ALL US citizens. I don't believe I've lost any freedoms. I wish YOU had been a bit more specific with your question...stating where you "read" all this, and what freedoms they say they lost!?

Answer 11

we are being spied on in the name of security , we're forced to wear seatbelts against our will , they got laws that say we can't bar people from joining our group or organization , because of race, creed , religion or sexual orientation but the same goverment are stopping gays and lesbians from joining the organization of marriage , we can't spank or punish our own kids [child abuse] but if the kids do something wrong them we are bad parents..then we get told what movies or video games our kids are allowed to play or watch , we don't have a choice or say so in this matter...we're told how to dress, men can go without shirts but women can't I seen fat men with bigger boobs than most women and they are allowed to go topless and be seen on tv , then they make a big deal about janet jackson......what kind of freedom is this