Re-intering my own living room this morning I am at once faced with a two-fold dilemma. There are lamps that sit on either side of my couch upon plain wooden tables. One of which someone forgot to turn off this morning.

Now that lamp, at about 60 watts or so, is both illuminating and at the same time, even in the early morning light, causing a sort of "after-glow" to the remembered chat with my wife this morning over coffee; a discussion of grandchildren activities. It is sort of wonder to me, this life of absolute and powerful ease that we have today. A discussion of our grandchild's name in the newspaper as making the Honor Roll once again, mixed with the low volume from the TV of number killed; maimed; and wounded in a far-off war can only be brought home by considering such small things as this lamp left burning.

The lamp should not be left on. To conserve energy, it should be turned off. But the effect and the memory, short-lived as it is, has an un-ordinate affect upon me this morning. Such a simple thing. But it is more than a scientifically manufactured miracle, that I have often taken for granted. More than the work of a knowledgeable trained craftsman. For a moment my mind flashed many thoughts, as well as the remembered indulgences of the past morning. Thought and feelings brought out to cause me to wonder at the many things that this unattended burning lamp represents in my world.

The lamp burns its brilliant light out across the room. It has, in some way, in some science, done so in many homes for hundreds if not thousands of years. Rome had such lamps in England, where the soldiers were manning Haddrian's wall. Each building must have had its small or great light of early morning. Soldiers had a cooking fire, an oil lamp. A Great General would have many such lamps, larger, tended by slaves or servants.

But where the simple soldier huddled near a burning fire to keep warm, and I sit here at my desk typing this document amidst proper electronic controlled central heating, I know the Roman General had his feet planted upon warm stones. Warmed by huge fires below the flooring, attended by slaves or servants. So, as he wrote upon clay tablet, and I sit here to create this document in my high-tech manner, while both our needs are taken care of in similar fashion, we both are faced with the same conditions really. Money. Serventhood; Slavery; or Freeman. Money has to be paid of course. A price has to be paid for the ability to live as I do; as a Great General of the Roman Legions in England at Haddrian's wall.

He read about the dead, dying, and the war afar off in another part of the earth. What has changed? Nothing. Or only one thing. The vote by the citizens. Romans have almost always had the ability to vote. But now the Non-Roman citizen can vote. That is an extraordinary change.

As we live like kings in this great land or our America, we also pay like kings for the pleasure. No simple thing, except in its simplicity of our wants that holds costs down to a fraction that we can handle. Money.

There is always a sense of change, both politically and in governance, of the slave and servant, and even in the life of me and the General. We all think of this change as new. However nothing; including any change in life style; created by us mortals is real change. We only go in a great circle, a wheel of misfortune as it were.

We ride the outer rim down into the "mud" of the "middle-ages", to rise up upon our height of wealth and plenty today. But soon we may be plunged down into the depths of "mud" and despair once again. Surely such things cannot be! We have after a;;, as a culture and as humans, learned. We have learned better, have we not?

Once at a time of war our government, out of necessity, caused our rights of free speech to come to a curb. We had to curb our speech in public, for the good of our fighting men in the war "over-seas". I have, and I hope you do have, no problem with that need. But within our speech, our knowledge, our learning and thought, we did not temper! For how can a Freeman temper his thoughts? How then can he be prevailed upon to curb his speech about everything that is not part of a war plan? Nowhere, at no time, ever; has a Freeman been told what to say as regards his free will and free speech about what he deems as being good to think upon and express! Thoughts of his own. Thinking upon science, industry, and politics, that the country, if not the world, needs everyday! Can that continue?

I say "continue" because such thinking has often times been denied voice, in fact censored! Done or at least threatened every day in American life! If you do not believe in "Global Warming". Fine. If you are a Freeman. But if you hold a license from the Government, then you are apt to be mandated to the line that "Global Warming" is a true and scientifically demonstrated affect of human occupancy and commerce upon this planet. Whether or not this is actually true or not has no bearing upon the fact that, after many years of college and years of internship, if you are a "weatherman" at or for any broadcast medium, you are going to be curbed in expression of any thought and experience you might have as to "Global Warming" and its not being true!

You, as a Weather Man, or Woman, with all your experience and talent and study, are going to be told what to say and what not to say openly in public; broadcast or not! You are, by some non-weather related Neo-Nazi, to be "controlled"! A woman that thinks to control your purse strings, and thus control you, will have your credentials taken away by the U.S. Government, if you do speak to anything about "Global Warming" as being a truth! In other words, you can be "for it", but not "against it"!

Now the similarity between the Roman General of old England and "you", the small non-voting soldier, part ways. The General will stand up upon a Diaz and have you hung. Not for thieft. Not for failure to do your duty. But for voicing your opinion! Perhaps an opinion that Rome is failing in its mission in England. Perhaps voicing the opinion that the "Pict" are really people and not animals to be slain when seen. Or more like today, for expressing the opinion that it will or will not rain today? Who can ponder and know the next "Politically Correct" price one has to pay for being a man? What price justice? What price Freedom?

The price for turning off the small lamp in my living room is small, if I turn it off now. But if left on, the price will do nothing but increase dramatically. Simple. I stand and do, or I sit and ponder. One will however, pay a price. Be it for Freedom, or be it for indecision!

I may not be for "overthrowing" our Government, but I am for overthrowing any politician that thinks he or she is going to ignore the individual Republican voice, in favor of their own or of a Democratic mob! To do less, is to pay a higher price later. To do less, is to be less of a free man!

©2007 Dan Bunch