The problem when too much freedom means little freedom

Can there be such a thing as a problem of too much freedom?  At a time when we’re legitimately trying to regain some freedom and especially equality in our country, it sounds wrong to even ask.  And yet, we must also admit that there are often unintended consequences to good ideas that are poorly planned and implemented.  Like with pretty much any good concept, it can happen in the situation below.  Or anywhere, for that matter.  In this case, I thought of at least one before even getting to the end of the article from the N Y Times.

The problem of too much freedom

Here’s what’s happening in Seattle, where the story comes from.

On the streets next to a police precinct in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, protesters and officers spent a week locked in a nightly cycle of standoffs, at times ending with clouds of tear gas.

But facing a growing backlash over its dispersal tactics in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, the Seattle Police Department this week offered a concession: Officers would abandon their precinct, board up the windows and let the protesters have free rein outside.

In a neighborhood that is the heart of the city’s art and culture — threatened these days as rising tech wealth brings in gentrification — protesters seized the moment. They reversed the barricades to shield the liberated streets and laid claim to several city blocks, now known as the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.”

In case you’re thinking that it’s a riot zone, that’s not what happened.  Not yet.  Although, if you only listen to our president, you might not think so.  Here’s Trump’s take on it:

“Take back your city NOW,” Mr. Trump wrote in a tweet directed at Mayor Jenny Durkan and Gov. Jay Inslee. “If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game.”

And the Mayor’s response:

Ms. Durkan responded with a tweet of her own: “Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker.”

So what is happening?  So far, very peaceful, in Seattle.

However, there are some issues that will have to be dealt with:

The demonstrators have also been trying to figure it out, with various factions voicing different priorities. A list of three demands was posted prominently on a wall: One, defund the police department; two, fund community health; and three, drop all criminal charges against protesters.

Footnotes

  • 1
    Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
  • 2
    Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
  • 3
    Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
  • 4
    The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Jn 7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Discover more from God versus religion

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Please leave a comment or ask a question - it's nice to hear from you.

Scroll to Top