The fact that we are expected to pledge faith and allegiance and perform rituals like puppets whenever certain songs are played, or pieces of fabric are held high says a lot about the nature of being human. We aren’t free. We’re afraid to be free. It’s why we get conned by cults, religions, dictators, snake oil salesmen, and get rich quick scams. We want someone to be in charge. Someone to tell us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. If you muster up the courage to go against the grain, others will try to stop you. You’re holding a mirror up to their shortcomings and they don’t like it. It’s much easier to attack you then to face themselves and really think about what’s at stake, and why they hold the positions they hold. They’ll twist whatever message it is you’re trying to deliver into some emotional hot button issue in order to rally the other followers against you.

Stop and think for just a moment what would happen to you if you took no accountability for your own well being and instead waited for your country, law enforcement, religion, country club, lodge or whatever organization it is that’s asking you to pledge your allegiance to take action on your behalf.

Stop and think for a just a moment what exactly these organizations do for you. Don’t pay your taxes, or register your car, or get a driver’s license and see what your country does for you.

The only true freedom is to recognize your own ability to create meaning and purpose for your life; to decide and to think for yourself. Faced with injustice, inequality and unfairness, one can either accept it, and in doing so accept their part in it, or rebel against it. I choose to throw my lot in with the rebels.