I know the human being and the fish can coexist peacefully

The F word has been on my mind lately... I'm speaking of freedom of course...  and recently I read "Whose Freedom" by George Lakoff, who also wrote "Don't Think of an Elephant".  He says liberals have foolishly allowed conservatives to claim ownership of "freedom" -- even though the progressive version is the one Americans actually believe in.  He also says losing freedom is bad, but losing the idea of freedom is worse.  You get the picture.  It's a concept I agree with,  but if you want to know how it ends, you'll have to read the book.

Seeing others throw the freedom word around has always irritated me.  Back when I was a small fry getting my street smarts in Cleveland I would cringe when I heard "It's a free country" from whining brats who were trying to take over the baseball diamond or run you over with their bikes.  I wouldn't be surprised if they are the same ones tarnishing the word today.  You probably knew kids like  that -- the "I'm rubber you're glue" mentality.  They had an infantile phrase for everything.

And don't they still?  Now, however,  they are catchy phrases that debase the seriousness of war.  "Cut and run", "freedom isn't free", "terrorists will follow us over here".  And  conservatives aren't the only ones who have laid claim to  empty words and phrases.

Getting back to freedom, I figure that if we're going to destroy the whole meaning of "freedom", we might as well toss out the word altogether.  How's this? 


Or how about this?  We all go to our rooms and come out when we can behave.