The flip side of this is respect for other people's freedom. Something that has been eroding for decades in US society, and which is accelerating here at a frightening rate. It is, of course, already long gone in most other "western" countries. It is unsurprising to find such attitudes on this list, which is really more world-centric (if not UK-centric) than US-centric.
Indeed, I was flying a couple of gents from Ireland the other day, one load on the ride concession we were operating out of a local fairground. They were immensely surprised that we could pretty much fly and land where we wanted, needing only permission of the landowner. When I was resting between shifts a couple from Greece chatted me up on the ground and made the exact same observations.
One needs to constantly push back against any encroachments on freedom. Sometimes the "system" helps you. I put an FAA registered heliport on my property (it is a very large property, well in excess of 20 acres) so that if the fearful haters ever decide to vote in zoning regulations that outlaw aircraft operations in my town I will be grandfathered (that's how the law works around these parts).
I respect my neighbor's freedoms. A little target practice? No problem. A few fireworks? The same. Keeping some pigs, or horses, or dogs, or chickens, and maybe one escaped onto my property? No problem, but that pig sure was tasty (just kidding
) I don't try to legislate their freedom to do these things away. Because, you know, I just might want to do the same things myself someday. And everyone gets helicopter rides, of course! But that was just gilding the lily because the traffic noise around here is actually worse then the noise I make with the helicopter.
But I know I'm a dinosaur, headed for extinction. There are too many other people who want to decide what I can do, how I can act, what I can say, and they are, sadly, winning. I could wax poetic as to why and how, but I'm already so far off track in this topic I better just stop typing. In the meantime I moved ten years ago to what will likely be one of the last bastions of freedom in the US. The only question now is whether or not this last bastion will last until I die a natural death.