Freedom is relative.

I had a great conversation with one of the locals here. He had spent some time in Chicago and California and we spoke of the United States.

“The United States is a good place to earn money,” he said, “but living there takes something from you. Here in Mexico, I am free. If I want to go hunting in the hills, I can go hunting in the hills. I don’t need a license or special permits. I can do what I please and go where I please.”

It was an interesting perspective. The U.S. is all about the idea of freedom, but this gentleman’s first complaint was that the U.S. kept him down. He felt that there were too many rules to follow and the rules restricted freedom enough that he had no real desire to go back.

“I don’t think I can leave my family like this though,” he added, “I have four kids. Three daughters:16, 14, and 3. and one son, 6. I’d like to go north and earn some money to help them, but at the same time I need to be here. My youngest daughter is [sweet]. She runs up to me when I get home from work and shouts ‘pappi pappi!’ and kisses my cheek. I don’t think I could my family right now even to earn more money to help them.”

The conversation then switched to Visas.

“I want to get a Visa for Vacation to the States but it’s very hard. When I was in the United States before, I was there illegally. On the forms they ask where you’ve lived for the last 10 years. I was in the U.S. in 2000. I can’t lie. So I’ll tell them I was in the U.S. They may turn me down. I hope they let my daughters in. Some of my brothers and sisters are in the United States and I’d like my daughters to be able to see what it’s like there.”

I greatly enjoy chatting with foreigners about the U.S. It’s interesting to learn what the country looks like from the outside in.

2 thoughts on “Freedom is relative.

  • 8/1/2007 at 8:10 am
    Permalink

    Does he understand the reasons behind needing a license or permit to go hunting other than fact that he just needs one (and has to pay for one)? Does he understand that there isn’t an infinite amount of animals out there to be killed? In an ideal world we wouldn’t need regulation and laws but unfortunately the real world doesn’t work like that and there will always be a few bad apples that ruin it for the rest of us.

    Reply
  • 8/2/2007 at 12:44 pm
    Permalink

    Think that smth in his thought is true – but living there takes something from you – when you are in USA you can by car, house, make your own business but you’ll have so many credits to pay so you’ll have to work without stops till 30-40 years. Here in Russia, or in Mexico – you are much more free. Maybe you don’t have a house, just flats – but you are much more free..

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Dmitry Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *