💾 Archived View for library.inu.red › file › lucy-e-parsons-what-freedom-means.gmi captured on 2023-01-29 at 12:02:35. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
➡️ Next capture (2024-06-20)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Title: What Freedom Means Author: Lucy E. Parsons Date: October 8, 1905 Language: en Topics: class struggle, working class Source: The Liberator Notes: Chicago
The change from the present method of obtaining one’s living is
inevitable, because it has become a necessity. We now live under the pay
system, in which if you can’t pay you can’t have. Everything has a price
set upon it; earth, air, light and water, all have their price. And he
who hasn’t worked, let him starve. Love, honor, fame, ambition, all the
noblest and holiest aspirations and sentiments of humanity are bought
and sold. Everything is upon the market for sale; all is merchandise and
commerce. Land, the prime necessity of existence, is held for a price,
and the homeless millions perish because they cannot pay for it. Food,
raiment and shelter exist in super-abundance, but are withheld for the
price.
The productive and distributive forces of nature, united with the power
and ingenuity of man are reserved for a price. And humanity perishes
from disease, crime and ignorance because of its enforced, artificial
poverty. The mental, moral, intellectual and physical qualities are
dwarfed, stunted and crushed to maintain the price. This is slavery, the
enslavement of man to his own powers: Can it continue? The change is
inevitable because necessary. Free access to all the productive and
distributive forces will alone free the minds and bodies of men. There
are certain things that are priceless. Among these are life, liberty and
happiness, and these are the things which the society of the future, the
free society, will guarantee to all for the return of a few hours labor
per day.
When labor is no longer for sale, society will produce free men and
women, who will think free, act free, and be free. Crime and criminals
will flee from such a society, because the incentive for crime will be
gone.