Liberty vs. Security

Civil rights and civil liberties are often confused (Legal Information Institute (LII), 2022). Civil liberties are freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights; the First Amendment protects Americans’ right to free speech, assembly, religious choice. Legal provisions grant civil rights creating equality (although equality is not equal to equivalence). An example of a civil right is the right to vote.

Tension holds liberty and security together (Posner & Vermeule, 2018). One may argue that a balance between the two extremes is most desirable and achievable within a framework of personal choice and accountability. The successful framework for balance is dependent on the values of those prescribing the system. For example, China has a successful system of Communistic based governance. Individual rights and freedoms are heavily restricted compared to those enjoyed by American citizens. Who is to say whether the heavy restriction of Communism leads to a safe society, or the liberty of Americans leads to strong, productive, and sustainable communities? Dr. McConnell supposes that the proving of contraries results in the manifestation of truth.

Governmental abuses of power and authority have long extended its ability to impose backdoor restrictions. History is riddled with security and freedom failures as evidenced by the Palmer raids, forced relocation of Japanese individuals to concentration camps, and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. Biden’s bad faith lies about gun control and lawsuits aim to achieve further abuses of regulatory powers to address nonexistent problems. Biden claims, "Congress needs to do its part too: pass universal background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, close loopholes, keep out of the hands of domestic abusers — weapons, repeal the liability shield for gun manufacturers. Imagine had we had a liability — they're the only industry in America that is exempted from being able to be sued by the public.?The only one" (Biden, 2022).

Biden’s false claims are aimed to restrict individual freedom. Gun manufacturers are not immune from lawsuits and product flaws. The issue lies when victims or families seek to hold gun manufacturers responsible for misusing properly functioning products. The delicate balance between civil liberties, rights, and protections is threatened by mis and disinformation.

The framework of balancing safety and security with individual liberty assumes that one must choose between the two options. Dr. McConnell asserts the idea that societies may have both. With vast travels worldwide, Dr. McConnell observed that people are generally good and respect and value liberty and freedom. The vast majority of populations desire freedom and recognize and support the associated responsibilities. One does not witness a mass exodus toward communist nations like China, North Korea, or Cuba. One might consider the idea of teaching people correct principles and allowing them to govern themselves.

Because of personal nature failures, government has historically assumed freedom regulation. However, if each person were moral, the need for government regulation would not exist. A glance down the corridor or history illustrates that there will always be those who seek to overthrow the individual freedom of others for personal gain. The real tradeoff between security and liberty lies within the confines of societal acceptance, personal choice, and accountability.

Liberty revolves around the exercise of free will and the power to choose within constructs of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Freedom is the power and privilege to act on choices and ranges from thoughts to action. Dr. McConnell asserts liberty is a divine gift, and the United States Constitution and accompanying Bill of Rights was given to man from God. As part of having the right of liberty/freedom, man must be an agent unto himself, and associated with that agency is the acceptance of responsibility/consequences of choice. Man has alternatives and liberty. Supposing that freedom/liberty is a God-given precondition of life, no person or organization can remove agency. Freedom is absolute, however, qualified. Freedoms may be qualified or taken away by a) physical laws such as gravity, b) by one’s actions, or c) the actions of others, including government.

Some freedoms are limited by choice. For example, mobility is restricted or confined within limits when one utilizes a seat belt. When one signs a contract, limits are imposed. In such cases, freedom is limited to produce greater freedom.

To exist in a governed society means one must accept limitations on liberty specifically to foster life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The failure of limitless individual freedom would result in the oppression of the weak by the strong. An example of such restriction is that of the Uyghur population in China. They are oppressed by a strong and wicked regime, evidencing the eccentric desires of a few to restrict the freedom of many.

The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights assure individual political freedom to act on personal choices in civil government. When freedom is lost, the best argument is of the legality or wisdom of the proposed restriction of liberties. The loss of freedoms associated with the mask mandates has resulted in catastrophic consequences, including extensive mental health damage, economic instability, job loss, dependence on government to the supplantation of personal growth.

Avoiding any practices that drive one to surrender part of personal will to another person by choice or force must be avoided. In terrorism, one seeks to remove the freedom of others via chemical, behavioral, electronic, biological, and countless other methods. Addictions, susceptibilities, and tendencies compromise freedom.

The fundamental issue is that of choice and accountability. Individual responsibility is the law of life. Society demands accountability for various impulses exhibited by others to allow the vast majority to exist in a civilized society. The laws do not excuse the reckless from pulling a trigger, the corrupt from theft, or the pedophile who exploits and abuses children.

Individual responsibility includes accountability for thoughts and actions. Ultimate freedom comes from living a virtuous life wherein no man or agency can reduce freedom to make and keep correct and sustainable choices. If freedom is indeed a God-given right, then the proving of contraries prevents the extremism of equation in the balance between safety and liberty.

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Bibliography

Biden, J. (2022).?Remarks by President Biden at a gun violence prevention task force meeting.?Washington, D.C.: The White House. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/02/03/remarks-by-president-biden-at-a-gun-violence-prevention-task-force-meeting/

Legal Information Institute (LII). (2022, Feb 8).?Civil Rights. Retrieved from Cornell Law School: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_rights?fbclid=IwAR0wZvHjx5_05dT0RxfblbUWtV7zHFLD73MpI9nlSzcy9sUoKpuIzailOZk

Posner, E., & Vermeule, A. (2018). Terror in the balance: Security, liberty, and the courts.?Journal of Law & Public Affairs, 54-82.

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