[Prev|Next|Index] Thu, Feb 22, 1996 Russell Johnson

Land of the free & home of the brave

     By Russell Johnson

     I guess I should introduce myself, tell you where I come from,
     etc. Maybe it's important?

     My name is Russell, I grew up in a suburb of NYC during the 50's
     and 60's, went to college upstate in Albany, then followed
     Alger's advice to go west in the 70's and moved to the SF Bay
     Area. Finally, I've ended up in a small town near Portland,
     Oregon, working for a high-tech corporation.

     I grew up with a firm belief in the beauty and wonder of American
     Democracy. I sincerely loved the men and women who made our
     constitutional government possible. I still believe that they
     were about as right about government as anyone could hope to be.
     Their words ring true over and over again.

     Yet, they always seemed worried that freedom was fragile, that
     "eternal vigilance" was necessary to ensure it. They never said
     it was easy! In fact, the sheer number of lives sacrificed for
     freedom is just so overwhelming to me, that I just can't believe
     how easy it is for someone to come up with some excuse to limit
     it. We better have damn good reasons for excluding liberty, as
     when no other alternative is available.

     But, there are plenty of alternatives to centralized censorship
     of the Web. Each one of us already has control over what we
     choose to view. It's too bad that it may not be CONVENIENT for
     lazy citizens who want someone else to fix their problems. It's
     too bad for parents who have untruthful relationships with their
     children. It's not anyone else's fault, so they shouldn't go
     looking to control other people's behavior. They should look into
     their own hearts and minds and fix their own families.

     But, no, they won't do it. It hurts. Let someone else take care
     of it. I only want to "feel good". This is all baloney. Of course
     it hurts. Growth hurts. Growth is change. Change is
     uncomfortable. Learning new things can be uncomfortable. How many
     of us shy away from such things? TOO MANY!

     To be free involves risk. To be totally secure is to be totally
     bored.

     Recently, the following was distributed around our company:

     To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk
     appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk
     involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true
     self. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to
     risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk
     failure. But, risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in
     life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does
     nothing, has nothing and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and
     sorrow but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
     Chained by their certitudes, they are as a slave; they have
     forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is free.

     C'mon people, millions have risked their lives to obtain your
     freedom. Isn't it worth a little risk of maybe seeing a stupid
     "dirty picture" once in awhile? Does that danger compare in any
     way? Don't be such cowards.

     Grow up!

     Ouch!!

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