Cannibals of Freedom: Ode to Valentine's Day - by Daniel L. Price, Esq.

     HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!  Interestingly, the Latin translation of Valentine is worthy, strong, or powerful.  Still, the major credit for Valentine’s Day is given to the author, Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote the “Canterbury Tales”, as well as many other novels.  He also wrote a poem, it is believed in 1383, to honor the courtship and marriage of Richard II to Anne of Bohemia.  The poem is entitled, “The Parliament of Fowls”.  Thereafter began the Valentine’s Day celebration of love, and this is why he is credited with the holiday.

     Since Valentine’s Day is this month, I thought I’d write a poem in this article.  I entitle it, “BITTER SWEET”.

I come to you this day.
Day of longing, forever sweet.
On one knee, heart in a bray.
Pining for you.
Alas, is it true?

Thoughts…doubts…hesitancies.
Blocking.
Separating, unnecessarily.

An understanding it will take.
Admiration; Courtesy; Respect.
Deny…deny…deny the truth.
Denies to us, our rightly due.

Cannot be half way let.
Not mine or yours only in part.
These intense feelings of the heart.
Must be complete for me and you.

Should we not listen carefully to our hearts.
To end that which keeps us apart.
Forever lost it will be.
The sweet ecstasy of our Love and Liberty.

     Yes, it is a poem of love.  It is about love between two people who may unnecessarily allow something to come between them to destroy their relationship.  It is also about the love of our liberty and not allowing ourselves to destroy our own freedom.  After all, this is an article about the freedom to choose without the interference of others.  But the poem also points out that sometimes we ourselves perhaps unknowingly interfere with our own freedom.

     How appropriate for the word Valentine, from the Latin word, Valentinus, meaning worthy or strong, to be associated with both romantic love and the love of liberty.  After all, if one is not strong, or worthy, then one will have neither.

     For this year, those who advocate the freedom to choose to engage in the medical and recreational cannabis use must be strong and continue the fight.  Even though the efforts to collect signatures for the ballot box in 2016 did not result in changing the laws, the fight must continue.  There is a war against our freedom.  All those imprisoned or those left for dead suffered in this war.  To do anything less than continue the fight for our liberty is to allow their losses and suffering to be meaningless. Indeed, if we do not live for something, then we live for nothing, thereby rendering our own deaths meaningless.

     For my part, I’ll bring any efforts to fight for freedom to light in this article.  Even more, I’ll sign any ballot measure that advocates freedom.  I’ll continue to write this article in an attempt to bring the issues out.  Along the way, I’ll also provide tips and suggestions on how to deal with the police while asserting your right to freedom and right to not be interfered with, as I have in the past.

     One of the ways I will do this is to continue to state that we must be worthy of victory, and strong enough to see it through and to keep it.  I’ll say again, learning the role bigotry plays in providing ammunition to our oppressors is the best first step.  Then talking about how bigotry plays an important part in denying ourselves liberty.  Talk to your friends, family, and people you meet.  Don’t preach, just talk.  It may be the best way to move forward and get signatures for ballot measures demanding freedom.  But most of all, let’s not support those who are fighting against our liberty by allowing bigotry to guide our choices at the ballot box.  In other words, so long as their actions do not harm another’s life, liberty or property, do not vote to take away, or to not allow, freedom to others, merely because you disagree with them.  Doing that allows those who would take your freedom to not only be successful, but it actually gets you to demand that they take your freedom.  In essence, they need you to be bigoted in order to get you to give your freedom up to them, the government actors.  The pivotal role of bigotry plays in getting you to demand government actors to take your freedom cannot be overstated.  It is crucial in order to deny you your freedom.

    In essence, whether one partakes in the medical or recreational use of cannabis is really not the point.  If one votes against the use of cannabis because they don’t like others who do it, or don’t like it period, then one votes against their own freedom as well.  This provides ammunition to those fighting against you in the war against your freedom.

Stay strong, stay worthy.  Till next month, keep rolling on.

Disclaimer:  This is an informational article only.  It is not to provide individual legal advice.  If you need legal services, feel free to contact me, or any attorney of your choosing.