February 21, 2024
One of my concerns is freedom of speech and expression. It is the most basic of our freedoms. Recognizing its importance, our country has enshrined those freedoms in the Bill of Rights. Our freedom flows from the Christian understanding that we are all created in God’s image and are worthy of respect and equal opportunity.
Over the last decade, we have been engaged in a culture war where totalitarian impulses have threatened our freedom. Even as you read this, we are entering another phase of indoctrination and control that affects our “right” to have Christian beliefs. The first article below recounts the removal of a child from his home because his Catholic parents would not support his desire to transition. Even though there was no abuse present, the State removed the child, solely because the Christian family would not support the child’s LBGTQ interests.
This removal recalled to mind stories I can remember in the 1960s. I heard in the news and in school that “Communist Russia” would remove children from the homes of parents who would not support the state. Then everyone was appalled that such a thing could be done.
In the second article, from King County, Washington, the Fire Department was conducting training to recertify its personnel. A DEI firm was hired to do the training. That was an ideological choice as training for fire and EMS is technical, having no social component. The care given to every caller is based on their medical condition and is standard. This training made many claims regarding whiteness and racism, including one claim that having white officers caused racial harm. There were tests and quizzes to be taken, and to be recertified, the participants had to pass the tests. However, in addition to technical questions, the test takers were required to endorse racial and gender-related positions that may very well have conflicted with their personal or religious beliefs. One fire chief reported that “Critics, including several King County firefighters, challenged the training’s political undertones and its potential infringement on personal beliefs, particularly regarding gender identity,” radio host Jason Rantz revealed in a report. “The training’s failure could jeopardize participants’ EMT certifications, demanding acknowledgment of endless genders and an inherent racial bias among White staff.”
This, like the first article, called to mind an article about “Communist China” and its “white glove” totalitarianism. The state compelled individuals to comply with its dictates and preferences by turning off water or electricity to the homes of the non-compliant or limiting their travel options. They also made it impossible to maintain or obtain a job because the state controlled employment. Ultimately, the choice was to comply or live in abject poverty.
So, each article calls to mind a coercive, totalitarian instinct that is currently at work in our country. If it continues unchecked, life will be far simpler. We will always have someone to tell us what to do and what to think. Freedom of speech and religion will be gone.
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