Issue 50 Free Association April 8, 2013

The Freedom of Association is a freedom that we take for granted regularly. It is our ability to associate with anyone and everyone of our own choosing. For the people of the United States, this right is guaranteed in the first Amendment of the Constitution through the peaceable assemble clause of the first Amendment. But, what does the freedom of association entail?

To associate with People: For this freedom, you can associate with any person you like whether they are the richest or the poorest. You may be a Republican, but through this freedom, you are allowed to have a drink with a Communist. It allows people of different races, color and creeds to interact unhindered by society (or the very least government).

To associate with groups and businesses: This freedom governs our interactions with other people, but because a group and/ or a business are made up of people we are allowed to associate with them as well. We can associate with banks of our choosing, religious organizations of our choosing, and doctors of our choosing and so on. The freedom of association does not limit us to one single option, but grants us the ability to give our support or business to anyone we choose. Think about it. When you give money to a charitable organization such as the Catholic Church you are associating with them. If you join a group like Green Peace, you are associating with them. Giving money to buy your groceries to the cashier is associating with that grocery store. We perform this act every day, this freedom every second without even realizing it.

It gives us the ability to discriminate: Like with every positive, there are negatives. However, the ability to discriminate is not exactly a negative. Through our own judgment, people are allowed to say no, I will not associate with that person. People can say no I will not hang out with that group. They can say no, I refuse to shop at that store. We all have our reasons to not want to hang out with a particular person, group or business; however the only time this becomes a negative is if hatred is involved such as racism. Otherwise, discrimination is a positive which allows us to disassociate with say a communist who intends on committing a terrorist act. We do not have to join a group like the white supremacists. There is no need to shop at a business if we feel they are unfair to their workers or even for just having prices that are too high. This freedom gives us choice, the choice to be with, or not be with who we wish.

Should Government order us to associate with someone: For us Americans, the freedoms we have are sacred. But we typically don't know they are slipping through our fingers till they have been eroded. One such instance is the Affordable Care Act which is better known as Obama Care. In its pages the American people are ordered to associate with insurance companies, which is a clear violation of our freedom of association. While, yes, Americans do want to be able to have access to health care, it does not mean we should be forced to buy from any body we either do not agree with, or simply cannot afford. However, we are no forced to be with insurance companies that most of us think of as either crooks or just a plain waste of money. And even then, we are still trapped, because health insurers are controlled by the State Governments and thus prevent other health care providers from entering. This unfortunately creates a monopoly (on a limited basis); while States force price controls and coverage on individuals they do not actually need (like hang nail coverage). This is government limiting people’s options and thus our freedom of association. Thus for Americans and people everywhere that have their rights protected by law, our freedoms are actually being suppressed.

Do we have the right to associate with a Government: The Freedom of association does give us the right to associate with a government of our choosing. But unlike traditional ways of associating and disassociating, we would have to actually leave the country and settle in a new one that better suits our values and interest. In other words, to escape a government that is not going away anytime soon, you have to move to another country that you would find acceptable, but remember, you are now subject to their laws and restrictions.

To be free to associate or disassociate is a wonderful freedom. We may choose who we marry, who are friends are, and even where we shop. It allows us to come together in times of struggle and separate when we no longer see eye to eye. With this freedom we may go on strike at our work place if we feel we are treated unfairly or seek out new employment. Through this right we can due marches, boycotts and protests, but also we can come together in Churches, Temples and Mosques. Never take this freedom for granted, for once it is suppressed it will be a hard struggle to get it back.