Freedom, fractals, and free verse

Freedom is a beautiful thing. In some sense, it can be found in every particle, every molecule, and every living cell. (To divide, or not to divide...) As sentient beings, we are mass conglomerations of freedom, individual harmonious machines, adapting by choice to the changing world around us. I've always appreciated living in a country based entirely on the idea of freedom. It reflects our nature, whether scientific or social. While we may squabble about what responsibilities come along with our freedom, we can all agree: liberty is precious.

In honor of this anniversary of liberty, I've assembled a few odds and ends. First, a fractal:

Happy 4th of July!

Now, some classic quotes, such as a fragment of an important declaration:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. (The Declaration of Independence)

...and a guarantee of that freedom:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." (Amendment I of the US Constitution)

...and the responsibility that accompanies that freedom:

"God, who hath given the world to man in common, hath also given them reason to make use of it to the best advantage of life and convenience... But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of license; though man in that state have an uncontrollable liberty to dispose of his person or possessions, yet he has not the liberty to destroy himself, or so much as any creature in his possession, but where some nobler use than it's bare preservation calls for it." (John Locke [1632-1704])

And, finally, a piece of my own, which pretty much speaks for itself:

The Machine

Humans struggle to shed their humanity
Seeking a virtuous existence
But the mind is a machine
The universe is a machine
And the gears will never stop
All is a product of diversity
Cooperation
Competition
The machine will run itself
Responsible unto itself
As each mind is responsible unto itself

Still humans struggle
To define morality and corrupt it
Evil is this machine
Holy is this machine
Rusting the gears with taboos
Fight against diversity
Fundamentalists
Conservatives
The machine stalls
Responsibility is forced
And the machine revolts

Time never struggles
Morality never changes; only its perceptions
The phallus is the machine
Curves of the flesh are the machine
Praise and oil the gears
Somewhere diversity prevails
Intoxicants
Undergrounds
Taboos broken; the forbidden gears turn
Responsibility is self-defined
The machine sings its troubled song

-KLF (2/10/2004)

Note on the poem: at the bottom of the original draft of this poem, which I previously posted here, I wrote: "Despite its moralities, humanity prevails."

Image of the liberty bell, Declaration of Independence and Constitution quotes via USHistory.org. Fractal made by the author using ChaosPro.