Freedom (Part 1)
Categories: Freedom, Léo’s Insights 2021-2022
Tags: freedom
We all want to be free. We yearn to be able to do what we want, where we want, when we want, how we want, all within reason, of course. Ever notice how many songs are about freedom? Next to love, freedom is probably the most sung about theme or topic. That is because love and freedom are probably what life is all about.
I have always been a freedom fighter. I have gained a reputation for standing for what I know to be the truth. Not that I know everything and certainly not that I cannot change what I have come to believe with time and experience, but I will not back down when told to do something that is questionable.
I recently read that to take a stand is to provoke an answer regarding an issue at hand. This is essential. There should be a good or reasonable answer for what is being demanded or advanced. If there isn’t one, something has to be changed. For instance, how often is the question “Why are we doing this?” answered with “Because that is the way we have always done it” or simply “Because” without elaboration? These responses are not acceptable as neither answers the question as much as insinuates that to question is itself wrong. If questioning is wrong, how can anyone come to knowledge of the truth? And, if we do not know the truth, it cannot set us free. Back to freedom.
An acquaintance who was intrigued by my ability to present a logical argument when defending the truth once asked why I do so. My answer was, “I want others to help me learn what is true so I can understand, be knowledgeable and be free.” He then asked me to define freedom.
Freedom is best described as having choice and control. You cannot have one without the other. We hear much about choice, but do we really have choice or options when a limited sphere of choice is offered? For instance, being given a choice of flavour of ice cream is restricting your choice of dessert to ice cream. To offer ice cream of various flavours along with cake, pie or cookies is to offer real choice.
When it comes to education, what choice do we really have? We are most often given a choice of where to have our children take government programming. The choice may include public, separate, alternative, charter, francophone, indigenous, private or home school, but like ice cream, we get to choose the “flavour” (venue) of government programming, without being given the option for alternatives to this programming which is to limit choice.
There is actually real choice in education. We are not made fully aware of this choice by the powers that be and most certainly not by those who can profit by restricting our choice, but there is a choice most agencies will simply not make people aware of.
Parents can choose who will be in control of their children’s education. Following the government program puts the school in control no matter what is being offered. When parents assume this control over their children’s education, by choosing what, where, when, and how to teach them, they are unschooling.
Those who value freedom will value being in control of their choices. So, what will it be? Who will have authority over your children’s education? Will it be some form and venue of government schooling or will it be you through unschooling?
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