There are times when I really appreciate living in the USA.  I may not like what the conservative folks are trying to do with it, but for now, at least, I have the kind of freedom our country’s founders intended for us to all have.

I could, for example, walk into a church and loudly declare God does not exist.  The congregation of that church may not like me saying that and at the very least I would be escorted out of the building.  If there was a violent reaction and I got hurt, those who hurt me would be punished.  I would not face legal action for being making my statement, no matter how much of an asshole I would be for saying it in a church filled with God-loving people.  In many other countries, I would be in legal trouble, and if I was beaten or even killed by those I said it to, they might be praised rather than jailed for doing so.

Now, I know most might think I am referring to countries in the Middle East.  It is true the religious fervor there is pretty high, but Islam and the Middle East do not have a monopoly on modern religious censorship.  In Poland, pop star Doda faces criminal charges for saying the Bible was written by people “who liked herbal cigarettes and were drunks.”  She could go to jail for two years for this!  This is part of why I am concerned with the conservatives in this country, some of whom may think Doda will get off light if she only goes to jail for two years.

It astounds me that such things happen in a relatively modern country.  It’s bad enough to see it happening in the middle east where the religious zealots are reluctant to loosen their grip on the people there, but to see it in a European setting is something I have trouble wrapping my mind around.  Poland calls itself a democracy, but doesn’t apparently allow for complete religious freedom, even though it’s part of their constitution.

This, I think, is a shining example of being careful with majority rule.  The vast majority of Poland’s population is Roman Catholic.  It’s important for laws to acknowledge a majority like this, but not at the expense of the minorities.  This is why non-whites in this country fought for civil rights so long and hard (and still do) and why gays are now fighting so hard for the same.  They are in the minority, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the same rights and privileges as the majority.  This is the most important principle, in my opinion, that this country was founded on.  I hope Poland’s legal system sees the importance of this principle and in the end at least fails to prosecute Doda and maybe even changes the law to allow greater freedom of speech and religious belief.

That’s what it’s all about:  Freedom.

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Next week and after, I am going to change Wednesday posts.  They will become “Wandering Wednesdays” where I post things I have Stumbled across or otherwise found on the web which I found interesting.