LaMB - Of Free Will and Self-Expression

In the previous post, we have seen that a LaMB is stripped of its free will and turned into a mindless slave.

"Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you couldn’t speak up or express yourself?"

Well, yeah. Almost every day, in fact.

I often feel quite constricted by society in general. I normally do not conform to mainstream thought, and that would often ostracize me from my peers. If I am to remain in their good company, I must conform to their standards, no matter how foolish or pointless those may be. Endless posturing ensues.

I think in one way or another, everyone is in the same boat. Many cannot truly express themselves to the fullest due to some pressure directed at them by peers, contemporaries, or denominations (political, religious, or whatnot). Or worse: their free will is stripped due to fear of retribution as they may not live as they wish.

For example: in my brother's school environment, he is often an outcast for being...well, different. Different in thoughts and beliefs, of values and interests.

I can just imagine how bad it is for other people who are not only singled-out, but killed for what the perceive is 'their way'. Religion, politics, you name it, it's happened in one way or another.

But I digress; it is not my place to question others' beliefs, values, interests, or denominations. I only question their sanity.

There seems to be a common trend that everyone would follow or take interest in something simply because others do so. Bandwagon effect, as it is known.

However, many forget that the people who make trends actually break existing trends to make new ones. These people are expressing themselves. They are free, as opposed to being bound by popular choice.

Ramza & Delita: two sides of the same coin.

It is when one breaks free of the chains of the bandwagon, then one would truly express one's self. Believe in something because you do, not because someone else does.

But remember, with the power freedom comes with, also comes the heavy responsibility of how to use that freedom.

Think your own thoughts. Live your own life. Live your own dreams. So that come what may, there will be no regrets.

It seems to me that what Ramza got was what Delita wanted at the end: the freedom to be whoever he wanted to be.
Everyone in the game was railroaded into their roles; everyone was using or being used by other people for their own purposes, trying to reach their inevitable goal.
Ramza, however, was unique in that he rejected his role and chose another one. When that role (hero) was complete, he left it all behind, with the freedom to chose a new path in life, something that Delita would never have.
More emphemeral, but I think more satisfying: Ramza defied everything to do what he wanted, and came out worse off in history, but better off in his own personal satisfaction.
I doubt Delita ever really cherished his throne, while Ramza probably loved every minute of his life after the game.
- anonymous troper

LaMB - Fate worse than death

Thanks to the research efforts of Alliance R&D (led by Revvie), more and more details about LaMB are coming to light.

Chief of which is how incredibly flawed, inhumane, and totally unacceptable it is.

Why, you ask?

First off, it is flawed, inhumane, and totally unacceptable (all at the same time) under the grounds that it is slavery.

"Yeah, but it's legal. The government sanctions it.", some might say. Hmm..let me think. Does history ring any bells?

Simon Legree and Uncle Tom; Uncle Tom's Cabin

Oh, right. The United States. *ding ding ding*

Just because it's legal, doesn't make it any less evil. You imprison the LaMB's mind and free will, and let his body do forced labor. They get nothing in return, not even the satisfaction of a job well done. They don't eat (not that it matters), so you don't need to feed them. And they get a nice automatic punishment if they disobey...and they never say no. Slavery is slavery, no matter how you dress it up and make it beautiful.

Second, in the same vein as the above, they never say no should already be an alarm bell. Why? Well, if the research is correct, they *must* follow orders of their handler, known as a Shepherd. Their minds aren't even involved. Just their nervous system.

"Okay, so at least they won't do anything bad." some might argue.

Right, they won't. But what about their handlers? What if the handler, say, picks a fight with someone and orders his LaMB to kill his opponent? Sure, the LaMB will get a nice electric shock, but since they cannot feel pain the way we do (I hear they feel pain in some other way), why would that stop him? The LaMB gets punished, the Shepherd doesn't (at least as far as the research finds). With a non-Laminated prisoner, they can opt to say no, or disobey orders that might be VERY harmful. It's a double-edged sword, yes, but far better than the alternative.

And besides, they'll also lack creative thinking that *might* be useful in certain situations.

A LaMB (Adam-0079*) doing manual labor

Third, of inhumanity. Okay, they're productive to society. Sure, I'll go with that.

But what about the LaMBs themselves? They're still people, albeit convicted of a crime and placed in a shell. The government would use them as if they were tools, strip them of their free will, and hold them for a VERY long time. Longer than any prison sentence. Possibly longer than the person's lifetime; longer than the lifetime of those of whom they love. And what about the guilt about any individuals they may have hurt/killed during their Lamination period?

See where I'm getting at? A person is in virtual hell for longer than any prison can keep them, and they will watch as their loved ones die. Sure, they might be *redeemed* (whatever that would mean after 500+ years, when those wronged would be dead anyway), but when the LaMBs wake up out of their shell? They no longer have family/friends, everything has changed, and they have nothing to go back to. They might as well just have killed him.

But they didn't. And that's what makes it so cruel and inhumane. At the very least, a conventional prisoner can have visits, where the prisoner can meet with loved ones, friends, etc, and hold them, touch them, talk to them. Best of all, a chance to once again be reunited with them if they work hard enough or reform themselves well (through the Parole system).

Aaaannnnnndd the list goes on. But it would be grinding on the brain to rant about them all.

Compare Revvie. Although she is bound by her programming to serve others, she does so with a smile on her face and joy in her *electronic* heart. It is her pride to serve; nothing makes her happier. But she has an even deeper side...though let us reserve that for next time.

As an alternative, I would suggest that a similar system be implemented, minus the removal of free will part. The government can assign handlers for each convict or group of convicts, and they can serve normally in society. Lamination and electric shocks optional, but highly discouraged. Or perhaps, just electric shocks for trying to attack the handler.

Lamination: a fate worse than death, indeed.

* The number part of Adam-0079 might be a reference to the Original Gundam, which was in U.C.0079

animax-lamb.com provides the same image as before, on behalf of the Alliance Network. Uncle Tom's Cabin image from wikipedia.org.