The Liberty Timeline
The amount of things people in America are allowed to do is shrinking. The government is gradually passing new restrictions on all areas of our lives so that most people don’t even notice that our liberties are disappearing. If you doubt that Americans have less liberty today than they did in the 18th century, take a look at this timeline. I will add to the timeline whenever I discover something new to add, but as long as the government continues to infringe upon our freedom, it will never be complete.
February 3, 1913: The 16th Amendment is ratified, giving Congress the power to collect income taxes without basing them on census results or apportioning them among the states.
October 26, 1951: The Durham-Humphrey Amendment to the Food and Drug Act was passed, requiring people to get prescriptions for any drugs determined to be potentially harmful. Instead of being able to live independently and choose what medicines to buy, people are now forced to get a doctor’s approval and be monitored and supervised. (http://www.fda.gov/centennial/this_week/43_oct_22_oct_28.html)
January 5, 1973: The Federal Aviation Administration requires that all airlines screen passengers and their luggage before they can board airplanes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_security)
February 28, 1994: The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act forces federally-licensed gun dealers to get permission from law enforcement before they can sell anyone a gun. Additionally, the cost of getting the government’s permission to sell guns is raised from $10 per year to $200 for three years and $90 for each three-year renewal.
February 2007: The Transportation Security Administration begins using backscatter imaging technology at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. This technology allows TSA officials to see people’s naked bodies. (http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2007/press_release_10112007.shtm)
July 1, 2007: All Massachusetts residents are required to have health insurance. (http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/healthinsurance.html)
October 2007: The TSA begins using millimeter wave scanners, which enable them to see even more graphic pictures of people’s naked bodies than backscatter, in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. (http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2007/press_release_10112007.shtm)
September 2008: For the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the TSA uses millimeter wave scanners in the Denver and Minneapolis airports to see the naked bodies of everyone within a 50-meter radius without their permission or knowledge. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_Wave_Scanner)