In my travels about ircGor, I have noted that often there are discussions where people disagree. That Goreans tend to have very strong opinions about certain things. And that many times, some who do not agree will turn and leave, or keep silent in spite of disagreement which borders on the vehement. And usually, they claim to be free people, with capped nicks. Exercising their freedom to run, exercising their freedom to remain silent in the face of that which offends them, that which they do not agree with....

Book 6:301 "With weapons and courage. they were truly free men, for they could now defend their freedoms, and those who cannot do this are not truly free; at best they are fortunate."

It is clear from this passage that in Gorean thought, it is not just enough to not wear a collar, or have a capped nick, in order to be free. A free person must have the will, the courage, and the means with which to defend their positions, or their freedom is circumscribed by the choices of others. Others, who happen to be quite willing to take a stand for what they believe in, shall set the borders on the freedoms of those who will flee, keep silent, and thereby bow down before them.

A Warrior has the will, the courage, and the weapons with which to defend his freedoms. Does this mean that a Scribe, who does not wield a sword, does not have the means to be truly free? No... it means that the Scribe defends himself with the weapons he has been trained with; the pen, the written word, the oration before an assembled crowd.

A free person stands and delivers, a slave kneels and accepts.

The slave who is owned by a Master must accept the Master's choices, trusting that they are the right ones, even though the slave may not understand all of the reasons for it. It is not the slave's part to defend, rather, it is the Masters.

In the relationship between the Master and the slave, therefore, the Master has both the right and the responsibility to not only defend himself, but also, the slaves for which he has assumed both authority, and responsibility over.

Without the will, the courage, and the means which with to defend one's self, at best one is fortunate that others have made them a space in which to exist and breathe, a place in which they can be who they are as best as they are able to contrive. They are dependant on the will, the courage, and the means which others put into practice.

It is a large place, this world, this life, and there is room for everyone within it, somewhere. Even those who will remain at the mercy of the leniency that a strong Gorean gifts them with.

Each free person can defend themselves and their freedoms in their own fashion, but in order for them to be free, they must be willing to take that step. To take a stand, and not run. To be prepared to defend their positions even at personal cost if they feel they are right, or they are less than free... and in Gor, there is a word for those who are not free.

Slave.

The claim that all Earth girls are slaves is a valid one. It is also a widely held belief among Goreans. Earth girls spend a lot of time and effort repressing their sexuality, thinking that it somehow "debases" them. When they are freed of these invisible bonds, their transformation happens with a stunning momentum. This makes it impossible for most of them to be anything but superb slaves. On Gor, the institution of slavery provides a legal framework for natural relationships. It states that there is nothing wrong with a woman, actually being a woman. It also gives her a place to go, if she desires to be one, or proves that she already is. Knowing that all Earth girls are superb slaves, and treating them all as slaves, are two entirely different things. First of all, most of them have not yet actually become a female slave. Their slavery might be close to the surface, but it is not in their belly. So treating them as a free woman is not hypocritical.

Additionally, suppose I get pulled over by an Earth girl who happens to be part of the state police force. She comes over and tells me, "Drivers license and registration." I would not inform this woman of her position in the world of Gor, and explain to her how she should not attempt to command me. I would not reach for a collar, I would reach for my drivers license and registration. None of this troubles me, or makes me. After all, even if I do consider her a slave, she is protected by the United States government which says that she is a free woman. Personally, I do not care to dispute this fact with them. If a woman chooses to give those rights up, the need for this dispute vanishes. It seems to me a much easier task to show one woman her true nature, than to convince the United States government that I should be allowed to randomly enslave females.

Additionally, it seems that if a true master and slave met, they would know this, or figure it out in short order. Therefore, although all Earth girls have the potential to be superb slaves, even on Earth, I do not treat them like they already are. Most simply are not yet slaves and are protected by their community, just like on Gor.

I wish all well,

Yurial.