Freedom

[Adisa]

A couple of months ago as I was cutting grass, and I found a couple of baby rabbits nesting under my deck.  A couple a weeks went by and each time cutting the grass, the little rabbits would scurry to safety.  I decided to trap them, build a hutch and raise them.  I baited the trap and the next morning I found that one of the rabbits had been trapped.  That afternoon on my way home from work I went to the pet store to purchase all I would need to raise this rabbit.  When I arrived home, I found that the rabbit had a cut on the bridge of its nose.  I realized that this rabbit wanted nothing more than to be FREE and that it would cause harm to itself to obtain the freedom it KNEW.  Although it would eat everything I placed in the cage for it, it still wanted to be FREE in its natural state, to run and go as it pleased and do what rabbits do.  In order to domesticate this rabbit I would have to break it.  If I kept this rabbit, it could take months but more than likely it would take a couple of generations to break the natural state of its wild and savage spirit.  Fresh water, an abundance of food, safety from the natural elements were of no concern to this rabbit, it only wanted to be FREE!  How long did it take mankind to give up on its natural state and accept civillization and become dependant on governments for survival?  Has mankind lost its touch with nature, to want to maintain the natural state of existance?  If so can mankind ever get back to that existance?  How long will it take?  Can the children who have never known such freedoms regain that state?  I have alot of questions just thinking about that little rabbit, wanting nothing more than to be FREE! 

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Adisa, great story, good questions. We were born free and the urge to remain free, I think, is in all. Civilization and its associated programs have had thousand of year to create, test and perfect its process of indoctrination and domestication and yes we all were exposed to that process. How does one gain and maintain the level of awareness it requires to not know they were programmed, but not to continually lie to themselves that they are now conscious thus aware. The question is are you aware of your awareness?

[Adisa]

That is a great question Al, what is it within some people to think, something doesn't seem right?

[Brandon Imhotep]

Yes great story Adisa! (As for animals that have already been domesticated) A friend of mine was feeling bad about taking freedom from his dog after watching Rise of The Apes. He had just spent almost 400 dollars on getting the dogs paw fixed, because he cut himself severely. He felt like he should let his dog be free and release him. I told him the short story from Uncle Yah-Yah about The Man, the Donkey, and the Lion and how the donkey showed the man, who served who, it made him feel better. Imagine what it would be like if he released his dog in the streets of South Memphis where he lives. The dog is totally dependent on my friend feeding, cleaning and taking care of him. Would that dog survive? Would my friend be doing the best thing for that dog if he released it? I don't think so... How can you teach a domesticated being to be free/independent?

[Adisa]

I have not seen the movie yet, but I am definately going to check it out.  I was watching something on animal channel about dogs and wolves.  A piece of meat was placed in a locked cage and they let the wolf go, the wolf tried everything to get to the meat and never gave up until it was pulled away.  On the other hand the dog tried for a short time, then stopped and looked at the handler for assistance.  It was explained that the wolf only had itself to depend upon to obtain the food while the dog no longer had that drive and waited for assistance from the handler.  Can a domesticated being be taught to be free?  Thats a tough one, I think a little bit of the wild has to still be inside somewhere and has to be tapped into or else its easier to be dependant. 

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Both the dog and Negro are in dire straits huh?

 

[Clifford Black]

The answwers are found in the questions and then we evolve!

[Clifford Black]

In regards to freedom>A psychological presupposition of Nietzsche's is that humans are always attempting to inflict their wills upon others.

[Adisa]

Dr. B, I've also heard the term, "inflicting your will on your opponent" in regards to sports.  This also made me think of the Lord's Prayer, ..."Thy will be done."  If "we" have free will, why is this prayer asking for the Lord's will to be done?  What if this Lord's will is contradictory to one's own?   

will (v.) :  O.E. *willan, wyllan "to wish, desire, want" (past tense wolde), from P.Gmc. *welljan (cf. O.S. willian, O.N. vilja, O.Fris. willa, Du. willen, O.H.G. wellan, Ger. wollen, Goth. wiljan "to will, wish, desire," Goth. waljan "to choose"), from PIE *wel-/*wol- "be pleasing" (cf. Skt. vrnoti "chooses, prefers," varyah "to be chosen, eligible, excellent," varanam "choosing;" Avestan verenav- "to wish, will, choose;" Gk. elpis "hope;" L. volo, velle "to wish, will, desire;" O.C.S. voljo, voliti "to will," veljo, veleti "to command;" Lith. velyti "to wish, favor," pa-vel-mi "I will," viliuos "I hope;" Welsh gwell "better"). Cf. also O.E. wel "well," lit. "according to one's wish;" wela "well-being, riches." The use as a future auxiliary was already developing in O.E. The implication of intention or volition distinguishes it from shall, which expresses or implies obligation or necessity. Contracted forms, especially after pronouns, began to appear 16c., as in sheele for "she will." The form with an apostrophe is from 17c.

 

I found one of the definitions of "will" to be:  to make subservient to the will of another; to subject to the strenght of the will of another; to control, as a hypnotized person, by the will. 

 

[Clifford Black]

In the future, we will investigate past thoughts about the subject matter, until then, keep looking at the different threads that have been posted about FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!

B.

[LaJuana Michelle Flagg]

That rabbit knew what freedom was.  He knew that freedom wasn't being contained in a cage waiting for someone to remember to feed it and keep it warm.  Any wild animal knows that food and shelter doesn't come easy, you got to work for it.  

 

Every human is born free but they later give it away.  Somewhere along the way humans mistaken freedom as acceptance.