I am not a homeowner, although perhaps I will be some day, and so I follow with interest the current controversies with American Homeowners Associations. Homeowners Associations, or HOAs, are basically mini-fiefdoms in the suburbs. Owned by management companies, they are ostensibly there to protect the "property values" of the houses by making sure people don't get all "white trash" on their properties.

In other words, they want to make sure that you don't leave junky cars in the yard, leave your undies hanging out to dry on the clothesline, or heaven forbid, paint your door bright pink.

The problem is, once you give away your right to put your junk car in the front yard, you've now just given away the farm, and you have no rights to anything. You can't put a fence up, start a garden, or even park your car in the driveway without explicit approval of many HOAs, which still may not approve your request.

Fascism has come to America, in the form of a Stepford Wives fantasy of perfectly-manicured lawns and completely identical, perfectly bland houses.

Many people are starting to fight back against HOAs, but sadly, the HOAs are very entrenched and have way too much power, thanks to corrupt politicians who are lining their pockets with profits from the companies managing the HOAs. In some places, you can lose your home for being a few dollars behind in your home owners dues. Yes, the HOA has so much power that it can take your house from you if you owe them anything. You'd be better off with a thousand-dollar lien from the IRS than owing a penny to an HOA.

Some of you reading this may say, "Well, that's the fault of the homeowner for not keeping up with their dues." Sure, that's all fine and dandy to say, but did you know that some HOAs will file special assessments of a million or more that add hundreds per month to the homeowners costs? And they can do this on a whim, promising repairs that never happen as the managers walk away with the extra cash? Could you absorb being blindsided by extra fees if you were out of a job in a recession like this one?

So what's the root problem here? Number one is obviously greed. You have to be a pretty heartless sociopath to want to kick a family out of their house for late homeowners dues. (Sadly, 1 and 25 people are estimated to be sociopaths without conscience. Apparently a good portion of those folks are now running HOAs.)

The bigger problem, however, is that we've too gladly given up our freedoms in exchange for the illusion of control and security. Those sociopaths would not have so much power if we did not give it to them. But, we want to be "comfortable." And for many, moving to a suburb where all the houses look the same is more comfortable than living in one of those messy cities, where you can have a shabby apartment building on one side, and a cute house with a white picket fence on the other.

Freedom, however, cannot happen without tolerance. This includes tolerating people who want to paint their house in garish colors and tolerating fences made out of elbow macaroni, if that's what the owner likes.

Off the 4 freeway in Florida, near Tampa, a business owner has buried a bunch of large, silver trailers in the ground by the road. It's a really peculiar, amazing site. The local Stepford Wife fascists, threatened by this man's freedom, have tried to get his art removed. Meanwhile, along that same strip of road are some of the ugliest sites, including a very ugly dealership where you can by tractors. But that's OK, because we're used to seeing strip malls. But something surprising? Better remove it!

Now...if you hear these stories, and are bothered by the idea of personal individuality and creativity being stifled, consider how you may be getting stifled on a daily basis by the people around you and your own cultural programming!

Are you afraid to be yourself because others may disapprove? Is your family serving as a "Human Owners Association" set up to oversee your every move? Are you being asked to "tone yourself down" because your being truthful to others is making them uncomfortable?

So consider...do you want to contribute to a soul-crushing, fascist environment by being part of a move towards sameness and so-called "safety"? Are you contributing to the stifling status quo by trying to keep the boat from rocking (even gently)?

I'm not saying you should run around naked in the park wearing a clown nose just to frighten people. There is something to be said for basic politeness. But I am asking you to consider whether your fear of "not fitting in" is making you show up in your life in ways that are betraying your soul.

For example, maybe you want to work as a chef but are afraid that your family and friends will laugh at you, so you stay in that boring office job you hate, year after year.

Worse, are you contributing to the numbing of America by expecting conformity from the others around you? Are you buying into this ridiculous notion that "good" neighborhoods are places where we need to police the height of fences, berate people for their poor choices in paint colors, and make even putting a wreath on the door at Christmas a major drama?

Maybe your idea of conformity is more subtle than that...maybe, for example, you give your friend a hard time because he's 50 and wants to learn electric guitar for the first time.

Let go of these notions of what is "normal." Free yourself...and don't contribute to creating a world where personal expression is something that must be approved by a board vote at the next HOA meeting. Allow for difference, in others as well as yourself. Life may be a bit more messy, but it's a heck of a lot more interesting and positive. I enjoy the variety of homes in my neighborhood. It makes the place feel "alive." And I enjoy the diverse creativity and expression in the world. It makes me feel alive.

P.S. If you are interested in fighting abusive HOAs, check out the American Homeowners Resource Association.