Thursday, June 28, 2007

Liberty..........Deal With It


Let Freedom Ring

Thursday, June 28, 2007
Fifty-six courageous men penned a manifesto deemed to upset the most powerful man on earth, published in Congress, July 4, 1776. Taking on the King of England and British military power was risky business. Three men from Georgia - Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton - were willing to step out, put it all on the line, and join fellow citizens in declaring independence for the thirteen United States of America.
In stating the will, hopes, and aspirations of the people, rights were set forth. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The framers of the Declaration of Independence acknowledged the providence of God, something increasingly rare these days. The Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, and the first ten amendments signed December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights, delineated the role of government in securing a citizen’s right to pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness.
What does that mean today when we ponder societal issues such as health care, globalization, income inequality? We hear cries for more government programs when we should use the correct term "taxpayer-funded programs." Government can create nothing nor give something to someone unless government takes away resources from someone else.
As we celebrate Independence Day we should ponder what individual "independence" really means? By what code should we live?
During a visit to the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy, I picked up a laminated card that offered instruction on true independence and spiritually-driven self-worth. Declared Saint Anthony, "It is not the judgment of men that manifests who we are; men deceive and let themselves be deceived… Everyone is valued as he is worth before God and not more…There is nothing in this world more precious than liberty, but you can not attain it if you do not dominate your instincts. Every man is ‘king’ in as much as he knows how to dominate himself."
Government should maintain the rule of law, provide for the common defense, and perform other functions as set forth in our Constitution. But the more we cry for government solutions and surrender our future to the "nanny state," the less free we become. True freedom comes from God and lives within us.
The economist John Stuart Mill declared, "The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good, in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it." When politicians promise more government benefits, that can only be accomplished by depriving someone else in some measure the fruits of their labors.
As we celebrate Independence Day week we should thank the men and women of the military, the citizen volunteers, moms and dads who are raising the leaders of tomorrow, those who labor and pay taxes, those who take risks and create jobs, investors who save money and provide capital for growth. It is people who defend our freedoms. It is people who pay taxes and provide benefits. The Constitution begins with the phrase, "We the people..." The Constitution does not begin with the pronouncement, "We the government…"
Is Congress really listening? And do we as citizens really understand that "freedom is not free"? John Quincy Adams said, "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."
Citizen patriots Gwinnett, Hall, and Walton knew the cost of freedom as did fifty-three other men of courage as demonstrated that magnificent day, July 4, 1776.
How free are you? Are you willing to pay the price for true freedom?

No comments: