Where does the Government draw the lines?

The United States has always been known as "the land of the free," but freedom in this country is somewhat an illusion. Our government has control over just about everything, and there is very little we can do without good ol' Uncle Sam sticking his nose in our business.

It is nothing new that the government takes our money. We fork over a good portion of our paychecks to taxes, and yet our country is in debt. California was even handing out I.O.U.s for state tax returns this year. Each year, about 40% of our income goes to taxes (source: Why you're always broke). It is no wonder it is so hard to pay bills and save. What is worse, the government has backwards priorities when it comes to the things they do with our money. For example, California has raised prices on tuition and cut back on grants and loans for students, in many cases preventing the previous benefactors from continuing on with furthering their education. There are several problems with this: for one, education is extremely valuable and should be cherished and encouraged, not made more difficult to obtain. For another thing, none of the money that the government is getting from the increase in tuition is going back to education. Why does the government think of education as such a disposable item? How do they expect the country to be bettered and become more advanced if education is not available to all the people?

The government has a lot of rights to our money, even after taxes have been taken out. There are many cases in which the government can reach into personal bank accounts and take out money, without consent or notice to the account holder.

There are several things that the government takes a role in that they should not be able to. If it has nothing to do with safety, then the government should not be able to dictate how we live our lives. Government should have no role in religion, love, marriage, sex (other than protecting its citizens from harm), and anything else that is a personal choice. Let's look at the example of gay marriage. Regardless if you believe gay marriage is right or not, the government should have no say in whom can marry whom. We are the land of the free, yet the government feels it is okay to take away the rights of some like that? It is not equality and it is not freedom to say that one group of people can be married but not another. The government should only take charge in matters of public safety, not interfere with matters of the heart.

Recently, there has been a movement against the obesity epidemic in America, and I am all for this. However, there is a group of people who think the government should step in and control our intake and output, meaning the government would control what we eat and how much we exercise. This, frankly, is completely anti-American. Yes, I agree that people should aim to be healthy, but letting the government control this is just one more step towards the world of George Orwell's 1984, in which the government controls literally everything from food to sex and even tries to control the thoughts of its citizens. That isn't freedom, it is dictatorship. If we choose to sit on our asses in front of the television while pounding down a gallon of ice cream topped off with a slice of chocolate cake, then we should have the right to do so! People are smart enough to make their own choices, and taking away the right to choose is an insult to our intelligence. Yes, there are people out there who need a little extra help, but they cannot and should not be forced to change if they do not want to. They should be given the resources they need to educate themselves and be allowed access to help if they choose to take it, but the government has no right to make the choices for us.

Abortion is another hot-button issue that the government should not have any say in as well. I'll tell you honestly that I am against abortion, but not against a woman's right to choose. I feel strongly that abortion should be a last-resort thing when there are no other options or when the pregnancy is potentially harmful to the mother, but a woman has the right to choose. It is her body, it is her choice. If the government makes abortion illegal, then they are putting many of its citizens (especially young ones) in danger. Many women will seek out abortion, especially scared teens who don't want their parents to find out, and not getting the proper care can cause serious problems or even death. Getting an abortion takes a toll on the body, and if women have no choice but to go out of the country or get "back alley" abortions, they put themselves at risk for disease, excessive bleeding, and loads of other potential problems. Making abortion legal would make it possible for these women to get the care they need and keep their freedom to choose.

The government takes a lot of liberties that they really do not have the right to. We need to do something before our beloved country turns into a dictatorship. I am thankful, at least, that I have the freedom of speech to write this, and that it is not a crime to speak out against the government. At least, not yet...