under the emotions I'm experiencing, having just finished a powerful book - Mayada, Daughter of Iraq, by Jean Sasson.
Once again the power of the word freedom hit me.
When doing something, we need to focus entirely on what we are saying or doing. Though we all do not live in police states, one never knows when one might step on another's sensibilities, or infringe, no matter how lightly, on another's personal space, or say/write/do something without thinking of the consequences this can have... Even in a totally politically free country, are we really free to do and say and behave any which way we like? or want to? Besides the damage this kind of thing is bound to create, be assured that we too will be victims of this damage. I don't think there is any room for any callousness or frivolity in freedom.
This does not mean we allow ourselves to be frightened, or behave falsely.....it just means that we need to be aware of the fact that something we say carelessly, or without thinking, may cause someone, somewhere grief...and worse, may get deflected right back on to us and we will be left defending what we meant by what we said....