Answer: Laws aren't what you believe they are. Laws just determine the level of liberty that society accepts.
One person's freedom is another person's constraint.
We have laws that protect freedom from slavery, which implies that owning slaves is no longer an option.
This applies to every freedom you believe you have. And it's why some people thrive while others don't, and why some people feel persecuted while others don't.
The transactional nature of freedom is reflected in the rules that govern it. In other words, freedom is always stolen and never given.