Giving up Freedom for Convenience
An Essay by Justin D. Lowry
Benjamin Franklin once said "A man that gives up his freedom for security deserves neither."
I agree whole heartedly with Franklin, it seems these days people are willing to give up freedoms for convenience. Back when gas prices were incredibly high, I heard so many people wish the government step in and regulate the prices. What gives the government the right to do so? Well, we do, in all honesty.
The way our economy works is the price of goods is set by the consumer, also known as supply and demand. If you lower the consumption (demand) and allow the supply to accumulate, then the price of said good must lower. People fail to realize that the economy is in our hands, not Wall Street or Washington's. They think that they have no choice than to sit back, do nothing and wait for the government to rescue them.
Remember when the truckers went on boycott, I called it this century's "Boston Tea Party". True, it did not last long enough to have a dramatic effect; there is no way that they could have sustained it that long. At least their heads were in the right place.
It is no different than if you have two grocery stores in town. One sells canned goods for $1.39, the other for $1.19, where would you shop. Eventually, the other store would start to drop its price.
The only way this action could be affective is patience and persistence. There's no way we could sustain an all out boycott, but instead, consolidate trips, cut down on "worthless" trips, start carpools, even maintaining tire pressure, oil changes, and driving slower. If these steps are taken patiently and diligently, the cost of gas has no choice but to come down.
It is hard and aggravating, but this is one of the costs of freedom. I know that the "freedom of gas prices" seems like an insignificant one, but as every journey begins with a step, so does the path of socialism begin with small freedoms.
Therefore, a call to arms to all citizens! Use your economic power to its full potential. Be resourceful, wise, patient, and diligent. As the motto of Georgia is "Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation", let this be our motto as well.
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