“… Societies do not usually
lose their freedom at a blow.

They give it up bit by bit,
letting themselves be tied down
with an infinity of little knots.

As rules and regulations
increase, their range of actions
is gradually compressed.
Their options slowly lessen.

Without noticing the change,
they become wards of state.
They imagine themselves still
free, but in a thousand and one
ways, their choices are limited
and guided by the authorities.

And always, there are
what seem to be sensible
reasons for letting their
autonomy be peeled away—
“safety,” “health,” “social
justice,” “equal opportunity.”

It is easy to become
accustomed to docility.
That is why eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty.
Not because liberty is easy
to shatter. But because it can
be softened and dismantled
with the acquiescence of the
very men and women from
whom it is being stolen.”
– Jeff Jacoby, columnist,
Boston Globe