Most of us feel that we have unlimited personal freedom until something happens in our lives to take away that sense of security and good feeling. We have freedom until that freedom is challenged.

For me this sense of freedom diminished considerably when I realized through numerous circumstances that were brought to my attention that the media is currently portraying past and current events in an untruthful and biased fashion. Over the years I have discovered that there are many ways to tell a story, and the story changes to suit the needs of those manipulating the populace behind the scenes. Media dissemination is controlled and diverse versions of the original story are generated (or killed) in various areas of the country.

For instance, the news is filtered, sorted, and spurt out according to the area in which it is broadcast. Some stories never make it to print or to the television viewing public. By disinformation and noninformation we remain ignorant of the truth in current affairs and politics.

We are led to believe that the US government has all people’s interests at heart. This is what we observe being portrayed in the media, and we don’t know otherwise because that is what we see. We are raised as nationalists believing our views are the only correct or right ones, as opposed to other nation’s religious, political, and cultural distinctions.

Looking at history we can see the nationalist spirit rounding up "dissenters" and "killing off the bad guys" in the name of the good of the country, and the majority of the populace not knowing the truth faithfully cheering them on. Most of us don’t even think to question these views. The proper point of view is so indoctrinated in us by the time we are adults through our early education with its slanted history books and teachers forced to teach the standard textbook way, and the media constantly feeding us what they want us to believe. We see and hear what they want us to see and hear, and thus don’t know that falsehoods are continually being born, and probably most of us don’t even care anyway.

The media conglomerates control the major media around the world. They exercise full control over the content and distribution of news. This includes the film industry, television, books, magazines, and newspapers. These corporations shape public opinion to their own specifications not caring for the freedom and rights of the individual. They have their aim for power over the masses with their numerous agendas. And the little independent that tries to tell the truth behind the news is forced to shut down. We are a propagandized society, no two ways about it. We think, speak, and act as we are told.

Over the last several years I have enjoyed surfing the Internet and discovering a whole new world out there. And through the Internet I have found articles and stories that were never told to the general public through radio, television, major newspapers, and magazines. In this arena of free speech I discovered ideas that I never thought about due to my lack of exposure to what was really taking place behind the news media hype. I didn’t question the media because I didn’t know otherwise, and thus I was falling right into their trap of propaganda dissemination and manipulation.

Yes, I heard of individuals trying to make a statement regarding this disinformation policy, but I was led to believe they were fanatics and people to avoid like the plague, and I didn’t care enough about these issues to research it for myself. I fell right into the hands of those who seek to keep us "in the dark" about the true and sorry state of affairs.

When I discovered that my Internet Server, AOL, was censoring certain web sites that contained objectionable material in the eyes of those that want to keep things status-quo, I could not believe it. How could this be? How could our freedom of speech be taken away in this latest form of communication sharing? I thought the Internet was a virtual powerhouse of information in all avenues of life. I thought this was one place I could go to find the facts and then sort them out for myself, instead of being spoon fed what the mainstream media had on the menu for dinner each night. We are faithfully and diligently eating right out of their own hands without even knowing that there are other choices on the menu.

There were rumors to the effect that AOL was a censoring authority. Yet, I still didn’t believe it. In my search for an understanding of this censorship I found that AOL has staff called Guides that patrol the Internet traffic looking for members that are violating their Terms of Agreement and their 90 banned words. They search through web sites looking for those that don’t fit the proper code of restrictions.

Why can’t we decide for ourselves what is appropriate or inappropriate for us and our families to view? Why do we need BIG BROTHER watching over our shoulder as we use our computer technology? Why did my computer scream out at me FORBIDDEN, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ACCESS TO THIS SITE!

Once the surprise of this further restriction on our freedom to think and discuss opposing opinions came to light, I switched to another Internet provider. Everyone that I questioned who had AOL as an Internet server also found the words FORBIDDEN on their screen when trying to access certain web sites. It made us feel like BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING through the eyes of our computers. He was telling us what to see, what to think, and what to do, and we are unintentionally playing right into their agendas.

How long are we were going to continue with this scenario by our non-action and "it’s too much trouble to bother about it"? And who is behind all of this censorship anyway? It is bigger than it at first appears. This censorship goes beyond AOL to those that watch the moves of individuals and groups that are disseminating information that proceeds against the current thought to keep the masses misinformed and unintelligent in regards to current government, state, and local operations. This is our Big Brother government watching to keep us in line with its agenda.

I discovered that the US government in it’s latest attempt at expanding its surveillance of telecommunications was using the Internet to seek and destroy those that were distributing information contrary to its wishes. And to obtain the willing consent of the general public to rally behind their march to destroy this freedom they were using the guise of the need to control hackers and child pornographers on the Internet. And most of us are playing along with this façade. The propaganda campaign is set up by extensive wiretapping and censoring of the Internet in an effort to remove those views that run contrary to their agenda — keeping the masses ignorant of what is really going on, so that they can have their way with us.

AOL and CompuServe, two of the largest Internet providers, are known for police spying and entrapment. ID systems are being installed to identify who goes where and to control what individuals see at the site. Plans are to create an approved Internet Mainstream and to shut down those areas they cannot control.

Congress recently passed a "Communications Decency Act" providing the FBI with the legal power to pressure companies who maintain bulletin board sites. The FBI was also involved in a secret spy operation investigating "indecent materials" on CompuServe.

Internet sites are continuously monitored and patrolled. Thus anyone using the Internet must assume that their communications are not private and that they may be intercepted and studied by the political police. There are now Internet sites that seek to protect the identity of the sender of messages by stripping the addresses off e-mails and sending it on to its destination. Yet, one such company was recently searched by Interpol (an international police organization). Police raided the offices of this Internet site that was providing anonymous e-mails. They sought out the offending originator of the message. This sounds like Big Brother once again watching over our shoulders making sure we keep ourselves in line with the current propaganda standards.

Are we willing to give up our freedom in the name of "keeping out of trouble with those in power"? Or are we going to fight back and not let them have their way with us?

Wake up before it is too late!

Actually we are at the turning point that will determine if we are going to remain permanently asleep at the wheel of life and willing puppets in the game of life catering to those who wish to keep us quiet, and not even realizing it! They have effectively programmed us through the mass media to think, act, and buy what is on their agenda. Pretty frightening. We are no longer free agents but merely puppets going through the motions.

Are our hearts dead to what we observe taking place around us? Can’t we see beyond the lies and deceptions that cover up the truth? Look around and observe the outright lies and deceptions that are flourishing in the mainstream media. Why aren’t we questioning their motives?

Don’t take the media’s word for it, let’s find out for ourselves what is the truth behind the facade. Let’s be freedom seekers not manipulated puppets in the hands of those that would take away every ounce of freedom in the name of keeping us status-quo, quiet, and willing servants.