FREEDOM - a one act play -

by Never Wm. M. S. Hall (@23JUne18)

[Begin Play; Act 1; Scene 1]

{for effect; the audience will be asked to remain standing until told to sit}

(a mature man enters the stage. looks over the audience, sternly, as if studying a stubborn child. Then, never taking his eyes off that stubborn child. He takes a seat, and says firmly...)

GRANDFATHER

Sit down. - Sit. Down.

(he merely stares sternly at the audience, a look of mild impatience on his face, until they sit.)

{the audience sits}

Now, you're gonna listen, cause I'm only gonna say this once;

Freedom - is the Right - and the Ability - of Every Individual - to Continuously DEFINE , EVOLVE - And EXPERIENCE Life - Without unnatural consequence, - EVER.

Freedom is the One and Only Prerequisite to Life.

Now, of course, your simpleminded ass might think that this means -you can run around -doing whatever dumbass thing your ignorance can come up with, - to whomever you want, - when ever you want.

Understand me when I say this; That thought is, without question, the dumbest thought to ever enter your mind.

Because just as Life has but One Prerequisite, so Freedom has but One Prerequisite. And it is the very simple understanding that - EVERYONE - has the same Right to Freedom that you do.

And if Freedom MEANS - that Everyone - has the Right to Live, and Choose for themselves, Without unnatural consequence; then No One has Any Right to Harm, or Coerce, Anyone, EVER.

It's that simple. (takes a deep breath, and a moment to contemplate, then...)

But, then again, - if you understood Simplicity, -your ignorant ass wouldn't be sitting Here with Me.

So, let me break it down for you like this; The moment You hurt someone else... The moment you TAKE someone else's Freedom, is the very same moment that You -become a Slave to the Consequences - and the Repercussions - of Your Misdeed.

Because, now, you are forced to live in a Constant state of Fear and Paranoia; impatiently awaiting the Moment when the Person that You Hurt -will find You, and hurt You.

And We, all of us, KNOW - that hurt-people Hurt people. And, the person you hurt, will, Rightfully... Righteously, want, possibly even need, to hurt You. And you got that coming, because you hurt them.

(with passion) And you can forget all that non-sense about 'turning the other cheek'. Passivism is a concept designed to keep slaves in line! Ain't no damn slaves here!

Now, (deep breath) - there are some very stupid people out there. And I KNOW -that You are Not one of Them.

(thoughtfully, under his breath) But, trust, they do exist.

(in his normal tone) Those stupid people will think to themselves, "Well, if I just kill whoever I hurt, then I don't have to worry about Consequences and Repercussions. Then I am free to live my life."

Now, let me tell you why They are Wrong. They are Wrong, because no one is an island, unto themselves.

Everyone, on This planet, was born of a man and a woman. Everyone on This planet has Parents and Family, whether they know them, or not.

And Everyone who has lived beyond Childhood has Friends, because Anyone who has Ever experienced Happiness has made Some-One-Else Happy, because That is what Happiness is. And Mutual Happiness... well, that is what Friendship is.

So, when a Stupid-Person kills someone, they're not only killing that One Person; they kill Dozens of people. Hell, depending on the murdered person, they may have killed Thousands.

So, that Stupid-Person is not just -looking over their shoulder for that One Ghost. They may be looking over their shoulder for Thousands. And Rightfully... Righteously so.

So, when ignorant children, like yourself, Argue that Freedom means Chaos. YOU must understand that - THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT - probably originated in the mind of a person who has taken someone else's freedom from them. And That Misdeed has Tainted their mind...

Their mind is Tainted by its own Oppression; waiting for the Day when the Wrong that They have done - is revisited upon them. And - THESE - are, very likely, the Same People who came up with, and now, Desperately, Cling To, the Concept of Passivism.

Now, - you sit there, - and you think a good, long while - about everything I just said. And, if there's any Questions -about any of it... Well, you just remember, Freedom can only be HAD when the Freedom of Other's is RESPECTED.

(he takes a book/magazine from his back pocket, and begins to read.) [End Act, End Scene, End Play]

*Dedication: In respect, and admiration, for the lessons my Father gave me; the lessons his Father gave him. 'I still remember, and miss, you both.'