This topic has been addressed quite a few times even here, but to remind you.
The first thing is, when most people hear the word "Free", they interpret it as "gratis". How ever, we the free software movement fellows interpret and use the word to mean "Freedom respecting". It's the language. If you say "Logicie Libre" in spain, people tie it somehow with some kind of liberities.
It's just a common property of Free(Libre) Software that it's often available as "no payment required", but many people buy, sell and pay for freedom.
You might have your reasons to or not to avoid proprietary software and I think you have every right for that.
My reasoning to avoid proprietary software are that I want to be able to use, share, study and contribute to the programs or projects how ever I might want. I try to avoid any discrinitation for any kind of statuses, and have yet not found other acceptable means than free software movement, in the software / computing field.
