A baby boy

The scenario wasn't drastically different. I was about the same age, my baby was born the same week, albeit 16 years ago, weighing more or less the same, same gender... but he was born with something much more precious than that child down south. He was born with freedom... the freedom to be what he wants to be, to believe what he wants. He can marry who he wants, choose a job that interests him as a person, he can interrail round Europe and lie on a nudist beach and no one will care. He can be an atheist, or he can take on any religion that takes his fancy. He can fly round the world walking in any city that takes his fancy and see what it is really like. He will know when he makes a friend that that friend truly is interested in him and not his perceived status. He doesn't need to sign up for Big Brother unless he turns out to be an attention-seeking extrovert. He will not spend his entire life on a world-wide Big Brother.

This week I have heard two extremes - adoration, which I don't understand because he is just a baby, like every other one, and venom calling for the crowd of spongers to be thrown out. I feel neither... I feel pity because he was born with his whole life already decided, and to me freedom is a sad thing to exchange for these meaningless privileges.