When Did Liberty Become a Handout?

We went from demanding liberty to demanding that government take care of us. Somewhere along the way, Americans stopped asking whether government had the right to control our lives and started arguing over which political party should hold the leash. I don't want a better king, a kinder king, or a king who promises me free shit while building a bigger cage. I want my fucking liberty back.

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Personal Essays & Reflections, Leadership, Humor Kate Sjostrand Personal Essays & Reflections, Leadership, Humor Kate Sjostrand

You Can Take Us Out of the Military …

Three former military people show up fifteen minutes early to a meeting, immediately look for seats facing the door, and somehow end up comparing photographs of horrific motorcycle injuries. And none of us thinks there's anything particularly unusual about it. Military service leaves its mark long after you take off the uniform. It shapes how you communicate, how you approach responsibility, and how you understand accountability. We show up early, we tell the fucking truth, and we don't waste time dressing things up in pretty language.

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The Fucking Public

Albuquerque has collected more than $11 million through automated speed enforcement, and now there's talk of letting cities keep an even bigger share. Meanwhile, the cameras keep multiplying. Government calls it public safety. I see an expanding surveillance system, an addiction to revenue, and another assault on individual liberty. Here's a fucking reminder: I am the public. You work for me. Not the other way around.

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Twenty Fucking Feet

There was a trash can twenty fucking feet away. Instead, she left her cup, spilled drink, wrappers, and the remains of a jelly donut in the street for somebody else to clean up. It’s a tiny thing, until you realize how perfectly it represents the difference between liberty and entitlement.

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