Total freedom? Sorry, kids, that’s just an illusion.

Freedom is theoretical until real life proves otherwise. As kids, we couldn’t wait for those magical, carefree days of summer vacation. Freedom from rules, schedules and homework! Upon graduation, we couldn’t wait to get away from parental restrictions on our behavior and responsibilities. Free at last! We could say and do what we wanted now. And didn’t the Bill of Rights say so?

But wait: We were free to vote for the candidate of our choice, but first we had to show legal ID, proof of U.S. citizenship and qualifying residence. We were free to drive a car, but first we had to reach the right age, pass a written exam and a driving test. Then we couldn’t go any speed we wanted, we had to wear seatbelts and could get arrested for driving home from a party drunk, even though we’d reached the legal drinking age. This wasn’t turning out quite the way we thought!

Freedom of speech allowed us to have fun trolling people on Facebook, making racist statements, belittling others for their political views and no one could stop us. But wait: Why is Alex Jones being held liable in court for damage done by spreading conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax? Why is Fox News being sued by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation? What happened to freedom of speech and the press?

Ah, how easily we forget that every “right” tagged on to the Constitution in 1791 has been fine-tuned and sculpted by a host of rules and laws and court decisions as the nation grew more populous and complex. Over the next 231 years, the legislative branch sought to address behavior by anyone trying to use a literal interpretation of their constitutional “rights” to escape culpability for the harm done to others (take note, National Rifle Association).

Upon maturity, we face the realization that there can be no such thing as total freedom in a democratic republic. Our Constitution embodies the fundamental principle that our survival as a nation is dependent upon a social construct of respect for every citizen. Rights will always be tempered by laws to protect the citizenry from chaos and harm to one another. Total freedom is only a theoretical concept on paper and in the minds of children.