On Haeseni Freedom

[EmbryoGod 823]

   

INTRODUCTION:

 

In light of the Haeseni independence movement, of which any proud Haeseni would undoubtedly celebrate, a burning question must linger in the minds not only of those people who have been “liberated” but also in the minds of those politically savvy among us might question: what does Freedom (such a loaded word in this context), truly mean? Does it mean the unshackling of a people from their overbearing oppressor? Is it the sovereignty and agency of its people with respect to their governance? Or does it simply mean a separation from the Empire itself?

 

    The issue at play here is that there are two favorable options for interpreting such a concept, and why independence is so important. From the rather cynical perspective, it allows for the government of Haense to further tighten down its control on its standing military, its law codex, and the authority of those ordained nobles (all of which have since the establishment of the Independent Nation of Haenseti-Ruska seen a wonderful boost by His Majesty). The other, perhaps more lovely side that I would personally ascribe to is that of the idea of self preservation and the establishment of the individual right of a person.

 

    For as much as the idea of divine right is espoused by not only the Haeseni but through nations across the continent, it is merely a justification for the pacification of a people. Divine Right applies only to Prophets I’m afraid, and King Josef must understand the importance of the ruled, as without them he is of little value. It is a shocking idea, I am sure, that the responsibility of a King is first and foremost the well being of the ruled, as a man shall always be a man; from the time of their birth to when they are put into the ground.

 

    The issues within this paper that I aim to highlight stem exactly from this notion: the idea that true freedom does not come at the hands of some authority who has decided that we are more trouble than they are worth (I do, however, appreciate Her Imperial Majesty, Anne I for her recognition of my people’s distinct cultural entity). In fact, while His Majesty Koeng Josef has managed to secure for himself more autonomy, the people of Haense, I would argue, are less free than they were before the rather amicable separation. 

 

    I’ve been rambling too much, we will get to the meat and potatoes of the horrid regime within Haense later. First I would like to discuss the fundamental freedoms that we, as people, are born with (regardless of what a garishly dressed man will tell you). To begin with, we shall look at an individual’s right to opinion.

 

    Speech: the involvement of discourse, is antithetical to the advancement of a despot’s prerogative. That is to say, the spreading of ideas in a free and open matter regardless of context are precisely what allows all peoples to be free. Assuredly, the slave born into such a profession will have no understanding of a free life should they only be surrounded by the subjugated and the subjugator. Freedom of one’s opinion, right to speech, and equal opportunity to express their political opinion are the foundations by which we free ourselves to a state of nature where our subservience is only to our Divine Creator. Now onto the second right of all mortalkind: common decency amongst the eyes of our accusers.

 

    We have, by nature of the social contract under which we create government, a fundamental right not only to stand against our accuser, but to seek equal protection and decency under the law. We are mortal, the flesh and blood molded from the spirit by which God had breathed into our lungs since our inception, and as such there is no other individual upon this continent who holds the sole authority for our well being outside of ourselves. Punishment to those who fail to uphold their agreement within our social contract should receive a punishment equal to the severity of the crime, and given in a manner that is neither cruel nor unusual. Lastly, an individual’s right to at least one appeal amongst the eye of the law shall be enshrined. Too often the burden of proof is laid not on the accuser, but of the accused. We shall get to this point later, but lastly I wish to enshrine the final right by which I believe all have, the freedom of self agency.

 

    God gave His Descendants mouths that they might speak, legs that they might walk, and arms that they might defend with. There is no man or woman alive who allows for you the individual compliance without your consent. The sovereignty of the self is tantamount. You are free to defend yourselves against an act that endangers you (within reason), and you are free to refuse any order that makes you complicit in such an action. Man should not be punished for a hobby, a harmless action, nor for engaging in any sort of business that is personal only to him and any other willing party.

 

    Yet why does the outlining of my beliefs matter within this context? It is simple: the Kingdom of Haense has repeatedly trampled upon these rights in the name of the autonomy of a government as opposed to the autonomy of its people.

 

CROWN V. BONIFACE:

 

    A contentious case, whose merits on which judgement was passed I do not question. Under Haeseni law, Heresy is indeed a crime, though I would wager the case was more about his annoyance of the government as opposed to any perceived thought crime that he had committed. For indeed, we need not look very far into the past to find belief structures held by the government and guard force under the Koeng that have constituted heresy: namely their stance on otherworldly spirits. Why was the entirety of the guard force not hanged, along with the queen, the king, and any other individual who espoused agreement in allowing the movement and passage of ghosts within the land? Because it was infeasible to do so, namely.

 

    Though as I’ve already stated, the right of speech and opinion should be maintained regardless of whichever government or religious dogma is accepted at the present, namely because matters of the ecclesiastic are not for the otherwise ignorant masses to handle in a way that is delicate and understandable. That in and of itself is a farce, and I hope that those reading fully understand that Boniface was killed for the purpose of convenience as opposed for the purpose of merit.

 

    What I take further issue with in this instance, however, is the flagrant disregard not only for the second right as stated above, but also the flagrant disregard for legal procedure regarding the trial itself! Boniface was not even given the opportunity to ask for an appeal, as is the right of any within the Haurul Caezk! This is a recurring theme within Haense, where the justice system as described is rarely effectively managed and handled by the guard force, and the litigation is clearly powerless as a Jovenaar becomes subservient to the will of those who are enforcing their ideas.

 

    Where was Boniface’s right to petition an appeal? Surely within the codex! It’s a shame that the codex wasn’t discussed prior to his public hanging.

 

CROWN V. VAN GELDERHODE

 

    What a case, particularly because of the flagrant violation of the Haurul Caezk in a public forum! Here is the law, in all of its glory, and we will dissect it further afterwards:

    407.01: An individual who inflicts bodily or mental harm on another for the purposes of gratification or coercion shall be guilty of the severe office of undue torture, unless done by an authorized agent of the Crown following a conviction of treason by the Aulic Court.

It is simple: torture is unlawful unless carried out by an agent of the Crown following a conviction of treason. It is important to understand what had occurred with the punishment within Haense and why it was so brutal, barbaric, and counterintuitive to even a halfway modern understanding of basic human decency.

 

    The individual, upon conviction, was taken to the palace courtyard. It was decided an arm would be removed. The prosecutor then ordered the guard force to break the man’s arm, saying that it would “aid in removing the limb”. I cannot go into length about why that statement is so fundamentally untrue, though you can simply read the laws regarding execution and reason why Osvald Barclay, the prosecutor, is either an idiot or a sadist (both in essence would make him guilty of this crime).

 

    So the bone was broken with the flat end of a halberd (an instrument whose major benefit is to use its mass to remove a properly attached limb), then the man’s fingers were separated, they removed the individual’s hand, and then a guard of all things attempt to keep some of the fingers for their own sick war trophy, and the limb was removed. Then the prosecutor was adamant that the individual not receive any medical treatment.

 

    There is clearly an incongruence then, between the fundamentally sadistic nature of the Guardsman involved, the prosecutor, and will of the Crown. The Crown, in all of its authority, should have done something about this. I can only take Koeng Josef I’s silence, as well as the silence of the Lord Marshal, Manfred Barclay, as a willingness to allow clear and flagrant violation of their own law. 

 

    I implore Justice Gynsburg, for who I hold a large degree of respect, to look into this matter. 

 

A NATION’S BARBARITY:

    I ask of my fellow Haensemen: is this what we wish for? That might be you one day, sitting on the chopping block. It might be your son, your daughter, or your friend. Do any of us wish that death on ourselves personally? Or have we, in our collective arrogance, decided to eschew the idea that we must treat others as how we wish to be treated? I by no means believe these individuals should have walked away without strict punishment, but to violate our own laws to do so? To strip away at the very fabric of law that separates man from beast?

 

    Have we turned to brutes? Our nation was one of culture, of intellect, of a sensibility that separated us from the Pertinaxi that years ago had subjugated us. We wished to be left alone, tending to ourselves from the rule of those we deemed unfit. We recognized that barbarity on the scale of the Pertinaxi must not stand, and we will not engage with it and that we would fight it, no matter how many of our own lives it cost! It seems that in our own slavery we had lost that sensibility, that decency. 

 

    We must face for ourselves what we have become: no better than the Pertinaxi that had slaughtered Otto III, who forced Haeseni men and women into subjugation, who made martyrs of brave men. In our current state, I see no separation, in principle, from the propagandized Boogeyman of Helena that we so readily produced, and the very tyranny that tramples on the basic dignity and rights of Men within Haense! Our culture has regressed, our education diminished, and now even the sanctity and liberty of Man that we had once so proudly cultivated is being removed, replaced with a structure just as brutal and unforgiving as the Pertinaxi!

 

    We must free ourselves, properly unshackle ourselves from the slavery of thought that has regressed us into this state of unmaking. We must stand and say no more! No more denial of our right, no more abuse at the hands of overzealous prosecution and ill-equipped guardsmen, and no more compliance!

 

Signed,

Oskar Wick

A Free Man.

   

   

[argonian 14254]

"There is no dogma regarding ghosts or how to handle them, so the Haeseni Royal Army did not commit heresy of any sort. Nor is it even possible to commit heresy without one's full knowledge and awareness. If you believe you have a case to make for that, then it's on you to make the authorities aware of such and push for a prosecution to be brought against the trespassing parties. The authorities cannot act on evidence they don't have.

 

As for the Van Gelderhode case, I'm unaware of the details, but the case that the executors of justice acted improperly ought to be made in a court of law and not some strange seditious letter.

 

Regards, 

Ailred Barclay."

[Disheartened 809]

"A wise, wise man, this Wick." an elder Haeseni Surgeon uttered upon reading the document with a few slow nods of her head.

[Drew2_dude 2636]

"Seems we're still living in someones headspace rent free..." Sigmar Baruch would shrug with a smile, torturing a pickpocket to death for his crimes, as Haense is a nation TOUGH ON CRIME!

 

Spoiler

 

[shortchangehero 4217]

The young and blonde auvergnian boy, Leufroy II d'Amaury, sat still as he attentively listened to the Adrian scholar explaining the missive. 

 

"Boy, do you understand," questioned the scholar. "I think I do," stated Leufroy, "the Haenseni leadership don't know any better and need their people to teach them." The scholar chuckled, "that's right." Leufroy smiled wide, "and if they don't listen we will put someone on their throne who will, right? So their people don't suffer."

 

The scholar's laid back demeanor changed. He was now tense. 

[Security_ 2287]

A crooked old eremite reads thoroughly through the manifesto, pinning it to the front of the ice box. "Ah my boy, doing GOD's work! I could count on twenty hands the amount of times the monarchy has failed its peoples.." The elder grumbled, ushering a herd of rats along.

[HurferDurfer1 2978]

"One of the smart ones." Says Mr Reginald Abner Townsend 

[gavyn 1362]

Corbin sits in the square of New Reza reading his cousin’s work, with the constant buzz going around he couldn’t help but smile to the constant mention of the name Wick. He’d pull out a leather bound journal and began flipping through old notes of his. “My turn..” The Wick muttered quietly to himself as he retrieved a quill and some ink from his satchel. With ink to the quill he’d press it to the parchment and begin writing.

[BobBox 3798]

Amthalion turned over the parchment in the bar, a smile resting on his features as he finished reading the paper. "I'll drink to this, hell, I'll drink twice because it's family." He said before sliding some coins over the bar "I thought I was done drinking, but I can't be sober for what's about to happen."

[Borin 7645]

"You can tell this guy wasn't actually there at the punishment because he didn't say what actually happened. Untrue biased third-party account amounting to slander and lies..." Viktor Lorenz Barclay sighs

[Totalitarianism_ 593]

“The Wicks are a wise people.” Comments an adventuring priest from the lands of Aeldin.