“Hey man, it’s a FREE COUNTRY..!!”
Don’t hear that any more, do you..?
The reason the US is no longer a free country is due to the size and power of the federal government. As long as the government controls so much of the economy, education, and can infringe on our basic rights, there will be a constant battle over who controls it. If somehow the government could be cut to what it legitimately should control (justice system, defense), then much of the fighting would cease.