I'll Care When You Care.

Do I care that the federal government is stripping away civil rights when it may be prohibiting travelers from entering or leaving our country?  Everyone is running around worried about illnesses that might be brought into our country so they want to close the boarders.  Or maybe the government should limit travel.  They could prevent US citizens from traveling freely around the country and the world.  How dare the government impose on it's citizens, this is a free country after all.  Or demand that the government close the boarders and keep out all foreigners and travelers so we stay safe. 

Should I care that the government wants to limit the number of firearms we can carry or possess, or put restrictions on the type of gun and ammunition that can be used?  Gun rights activists are in an uproar over the government saying you can not own a gun that shoots 100 rounds in the blink of an eye.  The battle cry is that it is against everything the constitution stands for.    

As citizens we demand so much from our government, protect me from outside invasions like illnesses but don't stop me from my constitutional rights.  Everyone wants their government to take care of all of their needs but don't step on any of their rights in the process. 

Well, to all you out there screaming right now about the government in your lives, I tell you that I will care about what the government is doing with your civil rights when you wake up and care that right now, today, in this country, our government can legally tell people where they can and cannot live.  They can tell people they have to move, or that they can not buy or rent a home in certain places.  Never mind the freedom to travel between countries in your free time or to own a small armory in your home, lets talk about the basic right to a place to call home. 

When the general population starts to care that the government can regulate where those labeled sex offenders can live, then I will start to care about all those other rights that everyone is so outraged over. The basic right to have a home trumps the freedom to travel in my leisure time or stockpile weapons.  Trying to sell our home because the government says my husband cannot live there because he could look out our windows and see the park.  Never mind that legally there are no residency restrictions in our community that would prevent him from living there just a government employee who supposedly has that power.  We have to sell our home and find a new place to live but that new place cannot be near a school or within site of a park, playground or any other place children may hang out.  It is amazing how many pieces of property fall within these guidelines.  It has been a process that so far has taken over a year and hopefully has a near end in sight but who knows right now. 

So to all of you who claim to support the constitution and scream when you feel your rights are being infringed upon I challenge you to get outraged when anyone's rights are being violated, not just those you deem worthy.  Most of the people on the sex offender registry never touched a child or another human being and have already been punished in some way for their crime.  Let them have the basic rights of every citizen, a place to call home.

As a warning to you all, there is a list of sex offenders out there, some communities want a public list of gun owners, or a list of child abusers, drunk drivers, drug users,  or domestic violence offenders .  It won't be long before everyone's rights will be whittled away and the government will be inside everyone's home.  Because when you tolerate it for one class of citizen it won't be long before the power hungry believe that you are a risk to their well being and deserve to have your rights limited as well.