Why are Americans afraid to speak their mind today?

Question

When everyday citizens are regulated as to the food they eat, the time to go home at night, and what to smoke or not to smoke, that is Totaltarian regulation?????
Is it too hard to enforce the laws against real criminals?
Violent crime is rampant. Children are in more peril than in 100's of years.
Innocent people are damaged everyday and made into criminals by making unpopular choices, when violent criminals are daily set upon unsuspecting people?
Our anscestors fought and died for the Freedom of Speech and the Right to Vote. And the Pursuit of Happiness. When our voice dies; we may as well be dead.

Answer 1

A part in the book 1984 comes to mind. After being held captive and brutally beaten Winston Smith says to the man that betrayed him, he will stop The Party, and make a difference. But he is shown the reflection of himself and sees all of the beatings and malnutrition has left him but a feeble man who can do nothing. Then he loses all hope and--well we know what happened in the end.

My point is, I'm hoping that all of the 'beatings into submission' the American people have taken, that we dont just turn into feeble people, who will in the end be completely powerless, and not just keep silent when we feel we should speak, but not feel the need to speak at all.

Answer 2

What would happen if someone in the media suggested for example that giving the Jews someone elses land wasn't such a good idea, or that blacks should stop killing each other and start going to school and actually learning something.
THey would be fired. I was fired from my job in a factory for a policically incorrect suggestion.
Were living in a nanny, stalinist state. My theory is there are too many people sitting around thinking how they can improve my life.
They could start by minding their own business
We've turned into a county of *******

Answer 3

I agree I think in today's modern society we have all become so worried about being politically correct that we have lost the one thing that used to make America stand out. Freedom. Freedom to speak your mind and not be worried about revising it to not offend any group, race, age, gender, etc. We have governed every aspect of living that you can for the most part and what do we have to show for it. Poverty, hunger, violence, unemployment. We have troops fighting a war were more and more lives are being loss every day and local crimes that continue to grow and yet the biggest thing in the news will be what Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton were or weren't wearing last night. The local news has become more and more of a Entertainment to night format, while serious crimes get a 1 minute cover. We as a nation need to get our priorities in line.

Answer 4

Whole the world is in grip of street crimes. This is due to easily availability of deadly weapons, lack of understanding and unity among the people and respect for moral values. Five decades back when weapons were not easily available I have seen Queen Elizabeth waiving hands at crowd in open car. American President moving in an open car mixing with people and making a friendship with a camel driver. Our ancestors have a respect for human values and right of others. In my opinion easy access to deadly arms is great evil.

Answer 5

the same reason leaders are chosen, because not many want to stand our of the group, until their sure they wont be ostracized for it, so they weight until they here some one else say it first and then agree, (this is how political groups are made) of cores their is the other group that are afraid of governmental responses in the form of harassment or in some case jail time, as it is we as a people relies that none of us are perfect and we all brake the law in some manner or another (and don't relies it most often) and we just want to be left alone most often. it all boils down to our inherent "better them get hassled than me" (although it could just as easily be you as me) and the cost verse benefits just doesn't work out, (of cores that didn't do the jews much good in 1935 1936 but one always hopes for the best)

Answer 6

American's have always been willing to pay a price for speaking their minds. We do it out of pride and anger. We see peoples shortcomings and get angry when they proceed to tell others how they are messing up. Americans have always been very judgemental, especially of themselves. "Do I look fat in this?"
Answer wrong and expect to hear an earful.
As far as criminals go, I can only expect it is due to our lack of living real lives that are worth anything. We live surreal lives of fakeness. We put up walls to prevent people from getting close. Many American's have many lives that do not always mesh well.
We have become a society who often lives beyond their means. They try to impress their importance onto others by their material possessions. It really quite sad that human reality is so shady.
Why do people lie to try and impress others.
It is these lifestyle choices that are the real problem. We are teaching children that it is not only acceptable to lie, but it is neccessary to lie about who we are. Being yourself is never enough. Material possession is the goal of life.
Children learn that money in any form is better than no money. Even at the cost of pain to others. "Finder's Keepers; Loser's Weepers."
I have learned to pass my voice on. If you have a positive influence on others, your voice will carry on. Teach those who are willing to to learn. Stand up to those who put others down. Do not fear to be an individual.

So, I will not die as long as my ideas live on in others.

Answer 7

What you say is true,I was warned by yahoo some do not like what I say.I am sure that is why they turned it off.You lose you freedoms all at once,or a little at a time,that's what happened in Europe now ,If you disagree with them in the government ,you go to jail.(that's the law) in western Europe ,To few people control our news ,so they control how we should think.(but first let me say I like what bird snake and the Canadian had to say)Political correctness and diversity are only part of why we are losing our freedoms.Others are the A.C.L.U. the lobbies in Washington the( not free )news.And the cowards that don't speak out in government.

Answer 8

Some of it comes down to weighing "your" freedoms vs. "mine." (I don't mean you and me personally, but I'll take that tone to help make my point.) If YOU eat trans fats, grow obese and develop heart diseases, ultimately, somehow, some way, *I* pay for it. Either my insurance premiums go up, or my tax dollars pay for your care and, ahem, feeding. There are people in this country who are on the dole because they have been deemed "disabled" due to their obesity and related problems. If you eat yourself right out of the ability to go to work, Uncle Sam will take care of you.

For me personally, it's not so much the WHAT you smoke as WHERE you smoke it. Virtually every day, I sit in traffic behind a smoker who's hanging an arm out the window with the cigarette dangling from it because s/he doesn't want it to stink up his/her airspace, s/he would much rather stink up mine! This affects MY health. But even if it didn't, it affects the smokers' health. See reasons above regarding obesity.

But let's talk about marijuana. I'm willing to bet that there are literally MILLIONS of Americans who quietly smoke pot and have never had any trouble with the law, because they don't cause any trouble in other ways. They don't buy it from criminals. They're discreet. They do it in their own homes. They don't operate their vehicles irresponsibly or show up late for work. They pay their bills. And nobody bothers them because they don't bother anybody.

Some of the issue is the social programs demanded by the Left. Leftist policies dictate entitlements, second chances, and the acceptance of unacceptable behaviors. Society pays for it. As a member of society who chooses NOT to (fill in the blank), I pay for the poor choices of others.

Alcoholism, drug addiction, oppositional defiance disorder---these are all now considered diseases, and the people who have them "victims." I understand the need for compassion. But there is also a need to understand that 30% of my income goes to taxes, and perhaps MY life would be better if I had more of that money to spend on the things I need in my life. I was underemployed for a period of nearly 5 years after 9/11---always working, but at a fraction of my former salary. But I'm not considered a "victim" of anything, so my needs are discarded.

Answer 9

Voicing your opinion and making it count when you vote are both good things and should be done.

But, real change comes at the end of a bayonet, so to speak. If people care enough to die for a cause, as our forefathers did, then it's the real deal. Protest marches and t-shirts are for whiny wimps who talk about freedom but don't deserve it.

Answer 10

Nice speech,I am Canadian I can only speak as a Canadian, We hold America in very high regards in being a protector of freedoms and very brave solders. They are the envy of the world,unless you are her enemy. I have never known of America to ever be afraid of anything,or any one. They could of killed Canada many times over,but America is a civilized nation despite what people say out of ignorance.They will only take so much before they get angry. If they get angry at some nation,that nation will really hate them.
They do speak their mind and will die to keep that right. Thank god they are the good guys.
Their voices will never ever die. God bless America. And thank God for that righteous nation of misfits of all walks of life.
Indeed I am so proud of America gives me goose bumps just to say what I just said.