Imagine if you would a moment our country as it could have been.

Imagine getting up for work in the morning from a bed in a house provided for you by the government.  A quaint three bedroom, two story brick house that at one time, before the four children was quiet spacious.  But now is cramped and you have been denied on three different occasions your request for a bigger house in a nicer country setting where your family dog would have a larger yard to run in.

Imagine pouring the government approved coffee which you detest, but require for the caffeine, into your mug for the preparation of your morning commute.  As you sit back and browse the national newspaper for the approved information of the day; mostly about how unemployment is at 0% and the like.  Then you stand up and kiss your wife good bye as you tuck it under your arm and grab a piece of bread from the toaster which never gives you anything but the blackest toast wishing that there was another brand you could bye only to remember that there was only one manufacturer in the country.

Imagine patting your youngest daughter on her head as she packs up her approved school books for the government run school that she goes too five days a week.  And as you walk out the door you spy your car, also approved of course for its 0 emissions, that is far too small for you and gives you a sore neck every time you drive.  Which reminds you that your request to the government for a larger model has not been answered in three years.

Imagine as you pull out onto the freeway behind a car identical to yours except that it is black while yours is the only other government approved color of olive green.  You sit in traffic listening to the only news radio station which is telling you that there is no traffic even though the road before you is a virtual parking lot, and you decide to listen to music instead.  You flip the radio to the only music station playing some high pitched wailing that you would never call music and decide that silence is more preferable.

Imagine as you itch you arms because of the rash that the government approved laundry detergent your wife uses gives you the same allergic reaction that has made your daily life a living nightmare and makes your skin beet red.  And as you sit in silence you think how little Tommy needs new shoes and Sara needs braces and Troy would like a new bike and Tammy would like a car of her own now that she is 17.  And you think about you just don't have the money and how your request to be moved to a new job outside of the city has also gone unanswered for some time.

And imagine how after you finally get to work (2 hours late by the way) you sit there doing the company financial records thinking how you hate finance and always wanted to be a doctor.  But you remember that this is what you have been approved to do.  And as noon rolls around you think how much you wish your lunch was not at 1:00 as was everyone else's and how hungry you are.

And after your work day is done, you arrive home (3 hours late by the way because the boss ordered you to work overtime) and mulled over the same thoughts as those on your drive to work again and again.  You kiss your wife and hug your children and sit down for a cold dinner of government approved food.  You don't even want to turn on the national news as you already know it will tell you the same things as the morning paper.

And imagine how after dinner you check on the outdated and slow computer in your daughter's room to make sure that your daily pay for a job you loathe was deposited correctly, knowing that even if it wasn't there is nothing you can do but wait for it to be sorted out.

And you listen to your elder son talk about how he learned today in school that ultra pure gasoline has ALWAYS been $14.00 per gallon and think to yourself that you can remember how when you were a child your father paid a mere $8.00.  And you remember how at that time you had been taught that within 20 years there would be no oil left anywhere (and that was 30 years ago).

And as you lay down at night, beside your wife (who even she had to be approved as a qualified mate before marriage) and drift off to sleep, you imagine that you have to do it all over again tomorrow.

Imagine our country without freedom....

....after that go outside and kiss the ground and remember where you live.  And don't let anyone EVER tell you what you can and can not do.  That is of course, unless it infringes on someone else's rights.