A point that I think needs to be made is that a majority, maybe a large majority, of Americans don't feel unfree at all.
I live in Las Vegas, recently named by Reason magazine the freest city in the country. (Yay us!
) Grew up here. Now, I hardly ever gamble. But I think the restrictions placed on gambling in most of the country are asinine.
So how much time do you spend each day, lamenting the infringements on your ability to gamble?
And yes, I understand very well that roulette wheels and Pai Gow tables are not mentioned expressly in the US Constitution. (They may be, in Nevada's.
)
My point is that, generally speaking, there are very few things most Americans want to do, which they aren't allowed to. Most people, even most gun owners, don't want a suppressed, full auto SBR HK91, the freaks. So the fact that such (absolutely, positively, don't-know-how-I'm-continuing-to-draw-breath-without-one necessary) tackle is so heavily regulated doesn't mean anything to them. Same idea as alluded to by the poster who mentioned that 18th Century American farmers didn't feel the heavy tax burden imposed by Britain, therefore didn't feel oppressed, and so did not support the rebellion. (Good job, by the way, pointing out that the US was founded to avoid "spreading the wealth.")
Offhand, the only groups I can think of which are exercised about lack of freedom in America are gunnies, druggies and gays who want to get married. (Maybe NAMBLA...)