When I was in high school, my friend and I chose the “Pro Life” argument side for our senior paper and debate. We did so much research that we had a stack full of note cards of references and quotes and facts. However, during the debate, and after finding out that my friend and I were more prepared and had more evidence to support our side, the “Pro Choice” team started attacking our characters and our religion and our heritage in a discriminatory way instead of providing evidence for their side of the argument. I learned a hard lesson that day – that even though you have facts and research on your side, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other side will listen, no matter how lacking they are in their information and facts. My point is, when did it become okay to attack people for having opposing ideas? And more importantly today, when did it become okay to censor them by preventing them to even say or present their opposing ideas and research and facts in the first place? Everyone in that classroom agreed that my friend and I won the debate that day – however, not a single person in that room said they would change their mind about their position on the matter. And that’s okay. I wasn’t expecting to change anyone’s mind. I was however expecting people to think about what we presented and respect the research and facts – because if we aren’t basing our actions and possible change on truth, then what are we basing it on?
I’ve been thinking a lot about forced compliance and censorship and the shutting down of opposing ideas recently. It is a fine line that big media is playing right now – pretending to represent both sides fairly, limiting the influence of opposing arguments, and downright making up false negative narratives about people with opposing ideas so that they can falsely discredit them. Did you know that in 2013 one of our US presidents legalized the use of propaganda on the citizens of the United States? You can read it for yourself in HR 4310. And for some reason, everyone missed the significance of that. And what happened to all of my friends that are “Pro Choice”? The ones that said I have the right to choose what I do with my own body – oh, except if I want to choose not to wear a mask during the plandemic. Right. Remember that the people who are trying to influence popular opinion in their favor own the major news, media and social media stations? The bias is overwhelming, unjust and un-American. Just consider these quotes from Nazi Germany (Hitler and his Reich Minister of Propaganda):
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” Adolf Hitler.
“All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.” Adolf Hitler
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Joseph Goebbels
“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.” Joseph Goebbels
“Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.” Adolf Hitler
“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” Joseph Goebbels
So let’s change focus for a bit and remember why freedom of speech and freedom in general is something worth fighting for. Before we all came to earth, our spirits lived in Heaven with God. There were two plans offered. Satan wanted to force all the children of God to comply (forced compliance – sound familiar?) and to believe. Jesus wanted every child of God to choose for him or herself and then provide a Savior knowing that they would make mistakes. The first plan does not allow room for any growth or progression. If you are forced to do something, then you really aren’t building your character by having to weigh the pros and cons and deciding for yourself, learning, and continually having to work on that growth and progress. And what is the whole purpose of our existence? To progress. That’s why progress is “damned” when you can no longer move forward.
As a parent I can tell you that it is hard to watch my children stumble and make mistakes. It is hard to work tirelessly to teach them what they should do, and then step back and let them choose for themselves. When learning to walk, it is often hard to watch our children fall. But if we didn’t give them the opportunity to fall, then they wouldn’t become the strong, typically developing children that they need to become so that they can continue to learn and grow. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t say we want our children to grow up strong and physically able, and also say, no, I will always carry them and make all of their decisions for them so that they will never fall. It is just something that comes with the territory of growth – the opportunity to fall – make mistakes – choose the less ideal path – get hurt along the way. Now let’s think about this in terms of human rights, freedoms and government overstepping.
One mentality says that because one person drank and drove, causing an accident, no one can ever drink alcohol anymore because they might drive and cause an accident – thus controlling the possibility of that initial choice. The other mentality is that you have the ability to choose if you drink, however if there is driving and an accident involved, then you will have consequences. (The same two sides could go for owning a firearm, or forcing condom use because it might protect the other person from pregnancy or an STD, or choosing to wear a mask in public or not). Learning and growth isn’t for the faint of heart, and when you involve an entire society of individuals that have the opportunity to make their own decisions it can be an extremely difficult thing to have to go through sometimes, especially when innocent people who are not involved in an individual’s initial decision, are harmed. But without that type of scenario, we cannot “prove” ourselves to God – we cannot progress and learn from our mistakes and repent and obtain forgiveness and then try to do better and make things better in the world. Can’t you see? Removing the option to make the mistake in the first place is not the way to achieve learning and growth, even though there may be casualties along the way. Our life right now is tragic and challenging and very ethically difficult at times, but this is the plan that Jesus endorsed – and in fact offered to sacrifice himself for. Why? Because this is the only way we can truly progress – line upon line and precept upon precept. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so…righteousness could not be brought to pass, nether wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad…” 2 Nephi 2:11. In other words, without opposition in all things, there would be no reason to prove ourselves. If there was only ever “happy” then we would never be “happy” because we would not have “sad” to compare it to. So ask yourself, what is the purpose of the media to shut down opposing ideas if not to force their agenda or propaganda on our society?
Yes it would seem easier to just eliminate the possibility of that error or lack of judgment or innocent bystander harm. It seems logical and like it would make everyone happy. But essentially, you would have to take away the rights of everyone, which would “damn” everyone’s progress, and when you can’t move forward you can’t find joy or true happiness. “And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet –” D&C 29:39. It is interesting to remember though, that we were never meant to have to endure this “growing season” on earth with our physical bodies on our own. Jesus Christ is and always will be there to lift us up, support us, and guide us when we seek His help. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32. Free from what? Free from sin and oppression and darkness.
So that brings us back to this question: Why has there been so much fearmongering by the media lately? Because when you cause widespread fear, and then “propose” the solution to that fear to be something in the people’s favor (or what seems to be in their favor), than people are more likely to go along with it. Have we learned nothing from our history? Oh yeah, those same elite own our textbook companies and invest in public education curriculum and the narrative of our history. Just for a refresher for anyone who wants to do their own research…
IF you think about it, if these things are removed or severely controlled, it is a lot easier to make the sheeple in a country comply with whatever you are wanting them to comply with for “the greater good of the state”:
1. Removing or severely limiting freedom of speech
2. Removing the right to bear arms and the right to protect your own family
3. Removing the ability to worship
freely - many of our ancestors came here to get away from that!
4. Removing the freedom of the press (or overtaking it and slanting or changing the truth and pushing propaganda)
Seriously, have we learned nothing from our history? What was the narrative during WWII? And why did the people go along with it? Because they were told it was for the good of their state. So why do we herald those who stood up against it and saved lives heroes? Because they were able to figure out for themselves what was actually going on – and brave enough to stand up against it. And many lost their lives for doing so. Many think the United States could never fall into that category. All I can say to that is that for as long as there has been good, there has also been evil. Please be aware. Please research and find your own facts. I’m not asking you to change your position based on what I say or show you.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,” Matthew 7: 7-8.
Please find an uncensored news and social media source and learn the facts before you blindly push an agenda that you don’t know about or the reason behind. If you need help finding resources that contain truth – please reach out. Sheeple are waking up and seeing what is going on – I mean really seeing. If you look hard enough, you will find truth. And let’s not forget the Holy Ghost who testifies of truth. If you see and truly ask, you can and will find the truth for yourself. You are not alone. We are not alone. I know that we are weary from everything that we see the media (including social media) telling us – so do your own research. You don’t hear the other side telling you that. You hear them saying to believe the narrative they are telling you. So please, for the sake of our freedoms and well-being, be brave, take a step back, and do your own research.
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
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