Security, however, is what makes us feel safe at night. It is what lets us know we can walk out the doors of our houses and nothing will threaten our well-being. Security is what governs our society, as without security, there is no society.
In The Matrix, Neo is offered a choice by Morpheus. He can take the red pill and experience the freedom of the real world, away from the lie he's being fed by the machines; or he can take the blue pill, which makes him wake up in bed with no memory of meeting Morpheus, thus guaranteeing him a secure life within the Matrix.
As of recently, these two ideas have been very prevalent during the gun control debates. One side argues for security, the other for freedom. It's surprising that such grand human ideas can clash so much. Or do they?
In a way, freedom and security are intertwined. In this country people have the freedom to join the police, the firemen, or the army, with the sole purpose of ensuring our security and safety. In this country we also have the security of knowing that these same men and women are protecting our freedom.
The same logic could be applied to the gun control debates. For those who fear that the government wants to take their guns, they can be given the security that such a thing will never happen. As for those who demand stricter gun control, they can be given the freedom to feel safer through laws regulating the buying and selling of guns. In a democracy, compromises must be made.
My 7th grade social studies teacher once said that our rights are limited by the rights of others. When it comes to freedom and security, this may be the one thing that can unite the two ideas. It may just be what we need to save ourselves.
Rich,freedom and security are both powerful elements that require a complex balance with in our society. With gun control, I can see how that can be seen as freedom vs. security argument. I would also add though, that the pro-gun people believe owning a gun is security because it allows them to defend themselves. They feel without their guns: A- They are not secure, B- Their freedoms are being violated, and C- a tyrannical government could take over which happens to be quite illogical because no matter how many guns we buy as a people, there is no way we could out gun the US military. They have something called missiles, planes and tanks. Additionally, in Australia, this same dilemma occurred in the 90's and they dealt with it. They based a ban on assault rifles, going against much public outcry. But it worked, there was no revolution or anything, and they have not had any massacres since 1996 when they passed this legislation. I hope the United States will come to our senses and do the same.
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