I have a Dream (too!)

I have a Dream.

I want to live in a country where I can feel safe; in a country, where I don’t have to fear for the well-being, life or property of my loved ones or myself; a country, where everyone dares to walk on the street – alone, without fear – anywhere and anytime; where everyone is able to spend their free time, to work, to study or to go to school without being harassed, threatened or bullied. I want to live in a society that has the means to guarantee the basic requirements for looking after my health and protecting my safety, but which will not prevent me from defending myself if it becomes necessary.

I want to live in a country that respects and upholds human rights; where each individual is free to express their opinions without being labelled and attacked; in a country where the subjective right of an individual person or group to be offended is not a valid premise to violate everyone else’s freedom of speech; a country where speaking out, publishing writings or thinking your own thoughts are not considered crimes. I want to live in a nation that defends the basic human rights and civil liberties of its citizens against those who would violate or seek to limit them; a nation that is not afraid to staunchly protect its citizens both from foreign aggression as well as any corruption or outright tyranny in any form they might face from its own administrators, public servants or criminals. I want to live in a society where those who break the law or abuse their power will have to truly bear the consequences of their misdeeds; a society where the application of the law and a fair sense of justice are at balance.

I want to live in a society where equality of opportunity reigns supreme; where citizens have as many rights and liberties and as few limitations and obligations as possible within the framework of a functioning society that allows each individual to fulfil their potential and seek their own happiness, without being suffocated by corruption, taxation or excessive and arbitrary license and regulation policies – as long as they do so without damaging anyone else’s ability to do likewise. I want to live in a society that provides those citizens who truly are in need the assistance and care that meets their needs and basic human rights, but won’t incentivise anyone to be passive or reward inaction.

I want to live in a country governed by logic and reason – not utopias and emotions – and where decisions are genuinely made with the best interests of the citizens in mind. I want to live in a nation that won’t surrender its sovereignty or economic independence to foreign powers and where true democracy reigns; where legislators won't ignore the population and no special interest groups and vocal minorities tread on the quiet majority and restrict their lives to serve their own interests.

Above all I want to live in a society that is not fragmented into many irreconcilable and completely segregated cultures that inevitably end up in conflict with one another. I want to live in a tolerant and diverse but united culture that accepts the differences of individuals, but stays true to its own values; in a culture that unites every member of the society – regardless of where they may be from – and in which everyone can easily commit to; a culture that is in extreme cases prepared to resolutely show the door to those who refuse to integrate and would destroy it, but which is also prepared to fiercely protect those who would embrace it in order to escape the tyranny of their own birth cultures or societies.