Freedom or Liberty?
Richard Noss
America First | Kentucky Proud | Teacher | Writer | Newsletter/Blogger/Email Campaigns | Posting on Sales/Business | Politics and Current Events | Eldercare | Self-Improvement for Men | The Bible
As our nation is busy celebrating the 4th of July weekend, here's something worth thinking about. By issuing the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the original 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain and summarized their motivations for seeking independence. Most Americans know that. But it was more than just a statement of freedom, it was more about liberty- freedom coupled with the responsibility to maintain that freedom. A concept that too many Americans seem to forget today.
Liberty was really the operative word- then and now. The Declaration states plainly that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator (not government) with certain unalienable rights, that among those are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Unalienable rights are rights that can never be taken away without consent.
The word liberty has been repeated frequently in quotes from our Founders and all throughout history. Everyone in my generation knows the famous quote by Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia Convention in 1775, "give me Liberty or give me death",
"That no free government, or the blessing of Liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue, and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles." George Mason, The Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776.
"My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of Liberty, of thee I sing..."
Or the end of the Pledge of Allegiance- "with Liberty and justice for all".
领英推荐
The word Liberty is stamped on every U.S coin.
We don't have a statue of freedom in New York harbor, we have a statue of Liberty.
The Liberty bell...
I could cite numerous other examples but the point is that Liberty takes freedom to a higher level, a bar that must be met and maintained with constant vigilance. Too many Americans will once again this holiday weekend take their freedoms for granted without giving the responsibilities of liberty a single thought. And that's a shame. What has happened to so many proud American traditions in so many places now?
On Independence Day we should pause and reflect on how many have sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy as nation and how unique the American experiment is. Having an appreciation for freedom counts for something, but the hard work of Liberty must also be done to keep it. Let's rededicate to that effort today- it's the only answer to the difficult challenges we currently face.
Richard Noss Paducah KY July 4 2022