It's been two days now since the Fourth of July. Almost every family gathered together on that day to celebrate 245 years of liberty from the British Empire. King George III was rolling around in his grave while President George Washington was dancing in his. July 4th, 2021 was indeed a day of celebration and festivities, centered around the basic principles of liberty and freedom. Grandiose firework displays were lit, cities were adorned in a red-white-blue glow, and the backyards of many U.S. suburbs smelled of grilled meat and barbeque. Beers were clinked, families were fed, and couples kissed under the illumination of fireworks.

However, can we really call this nation 'free'? Can we honestly say, with a straight face, that this nation is free? I do not wish to offend any real patriots nor do I intend to disrespect America, but one question every American must ask themselves is this: am I truly free?

Recall the year 2020, a year plagued with a pandemic and riots. During the pandemic, many states like California and New York were quick to announce mask mandates and lockdowns for the public. It was for "public health", they said, and it was their sworn duty to follow the science of the 'almighty' Dr. Fauci. When COVID-19 began to surge, public health officials and the mainstream media were quick to castigate those who chose not to wear a mask -- even though an American citizen has every right to do what they seem right to their body. "But," they said, "not so fast. The public health of everyone around you is more important than your individual freedom." After all, who can argue against the common good? But, when government officials (like Governor Newsom) did not play by their own rules, they justified their behaviors all while doubling down on those that defied their orders. "Do as I say, not as I do" was the mantra for many in power. And all of those who watched cable news actually bought it!

On January 6th, the U.S. White House was breached. Fueled by anger over a dishonest election, rogue members of a large Trump rally nearby the White House had broken into the White House, killing a Capitol police officer and damaging government property. As a result, then-President Trump was blamed for the storming and barred from ever being on social media. As soon as everything was over, the FBI quickly identified the people who stormed the Capitol -- average, ordinary people -- and deemed them 'terrorists'. Just short of six months after, on June 30th, the House Committee voted to establish a 9/11 style commission for the January 6th event. While NBC terms this event as a 'riot', it was in reality a demonstration, no different than the Boston Tea Party that occurred 248 years ago.

Also on June 30th, it was reported that San Jose, California city council members unanimously voted on having a new tax for gun owners in the city. Proponents of this new tax say that the tax is in response to a May 27th VTA railyard shooting. According to Fox Business, "the forthcoming fee for gun ownership in the city has not yet been determined, but officials said that anyone found to be in noncompliance will have their weapons confiscated".

In the state of Massachusetts, Android users experienced a 'silent' rollout of a COVID-19 tracking app in partnership with Massachusetts Department of Public Health, according to Ars Technica. When asked about such a measure, Google replied: "This functionality is built into the device settings and is automatically distributed by the Google Play Store, so users don’t have to download a separate app."

Recently, Fox News host Tucker Carlson was alerted by an NSA whistleblower that he was being spied on by the U.S. government, which tracked all of his text messages and emails in an attempt to get his show off the air.

All of this happened within a year; do you still think our country is free? Can we honestly say that America is a free country if it spies, lies, and prevents people from speaking their mind? Can we honestly sing "land of the free" if the nation we are singing to is otherwise? Can we stand for the flag if it promotes warfare, infanticide, hedonistic living, spying, and the gradual persecution of Christians? Can we say "God Bless America" if in actuality America hates God's guts? Can we live in a free country if our rights are being squashed for elitist purposes? Is it possible to say freedom actually still exists in America if it really doesn't? Can we have a 4th of July if this country is not willing to honor the freedoms and rights of each individual citizen? These questions are legitimate questions, not simply made to ridicule America or the citizens that live in America but to question the kind of freedom there is in this land.

For the last 20 years, the freedom that Americans once had began to decrease slowly but surely. First it was the USA PATRIOT Act signed into law by George W. Bush. Then it was the creation of the TSA in response to 9/11. Now, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch -- enabled by clauses in Section 230 -- can override the First Amendment and censor/bar users from speaking their mind. Is it even possible to cling so desperately on to this façade that America is a free country when in reality it is not? Is it even possible to sing "Hail to the Chief" and ring the bells of freedom when our 'Chief' is mentally incompetent and unaware that certain liberties are being taken away?

To conclude, America is a land of opportunity and, compared to nations like North Korea, is a place of relative freedom. But this freedom is rapidly declining. There may come a day when people are forced inside their homes for no apparent reason except because the government says so. We seen that happen with the pandemic, meaning it could happen again. There may come a day when it becomes illegal to share the Gospel or even utter the name 'God'. We have seen this slowly play out in schools, so there's no telling what will happen in the future. There may come a day when people are forced to repeat propaganda or otherwise be called a traitor. Again, this plays itself out in the public education system, so it could very well happen in America. There may come a day when all your brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, friends, neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, and professors turn on each other and turn on you for even having an opinion. Slowly but surely, the government is stripping away the freedoms of each person. Each of us, instead of being the happy-go-lucky crowd that barbeques and laughs, will instead be a slave to a giant corporate machine. We will become trapped in a system that constantly spews propaganda. The freedoms we once held dear would then be far from us. We may recollect on the good times, remembering the fun times we had an believing America was truly free. But then we will realize that we are trapped, in a cage, and the American freedom that we believed in was all just an illusion.

Are we truly free?