Principles of Freedom – Liberty

I have pondered why the words “liberty” and “freedom” are often used in the same sentence when I used to think they meant essentially the same thing. I have come to understand that, while complementary, they are specific, separate and have definite meanings that we should consider. Likewise, the words “slavery” and “servitude” are different in scope and concept.

Most people understand freedom to mean the absence of constraint - the ability to move, think, express yourself and create without fear or coercion that we will be limited or punished for doing so. Freedom comes with the responsibility to not infringe on other people’s freedoms to do the same and to not do harm to their physical well-being or property or their emotional or spiritual life.

The term liberty is a little more esoteric. Liberty is a state of mind, one of being truly free in mind and heart. A person who is in a state of “liber” or liberty understands justice, equality, rightness, fairness and many other positive values and lives by them in their relationships with others and demands that same treatment for themselves. J.B.Books (John Wayne in the movie The Shootist) says it this way, “I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

Liberty is living in harmony with principles of truth and having those principles as your guiding star. It is respecting the rights of others and not taking advantage, even if we have the “freedom” to do so.  To me, it is the imperative that we all need to aspire to. It is what William Wallace (Braveheart) meant when he yelled “Freedom” and his men joined in the chorus.

Slavery is a term most of us understand but have not experienced. It is the forcible extraction of labor while being compelled to stay in a location or under a situation that we have no control over. Many nations had conditions of slavery in their history and some people are still used and abused by systems that allow or encourage it. Today those conditions are maintained more often by threat of violence or forced addiction to illegal drugs than by chains, but they do exist even in our “free” country.

Servitude is again a more opaque term. Historically, it could apply to sharecroppers or others that were allowed to live on land owned by another as long as a significant portion of the production was given to the land owner as tribute or tax. This situation is created when the privileged few own most of the land or necessities of life and dole them out reluctantly to those who work to produce the wealth the few enjoy. We are moving more and more into a servitude system as the corporations control more land and wealth and the individual is minimized more and has less and thus relies more on the “generosity” of those who have much (including the government).

Because this is a gradual process, most do not see how servitude to the government and corporations is eroding our freedoms. Most do not see how much of the education our children are receiving teaches them to be good worker bees and contributors rather than creators and leaders. We individually and as families need to be more aware and educate ourselves as to how we can help reverse the trend towards servitude and create in ourselves the understanding of liberty and freedom.

Principles of Freedom – Introduction

What is Freedom? What is Liberty and how is it different from Freedom? We say we want Freedom but do we really? Are we willing to take on the responsibilities and risks that Liberty and Freedom require? What are you personally willing to give up to have someone else (such as the government) take care of you? Patrick Henry once electrified a nation when he said, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”  I am left to wonder today if many people would say instead, “Give me liberty, but not if it comes with inconvenience or responsibility – that’s just too much to ask!”

Principles are fundamental truths that serve as a foundation for our actions and which naturally lead to definite consequences and outcomes. For example, if you plant certain types of seeds in your garden, and if you care for the soil and provide consistent water and protection from bugs and animals that might destroy, you will see the desired flowers, vegetables or fruits as they mature and provide food and beauty for your family.

In the same way, our actions (or inaction) have a direct and sometimes irreversible effect on our future, our well-being and our freedom. Those we choose as our representatives in government make decisions that create the future. The analogy with a garden is instructive. To the extent that we are uninvolved and uninformed, we are personally responsible for the mess our country is in. Like the garden, if we just expect someone else to take care of it, the results are usually very poor and sometimes terrible. Government, like a garden, takes constant care. We need to remove noxious weeds on a regular basis. We need to learn what makes government work correctly now and for the future. We need to put in the effort to correct the things that are not working. This includes holding elected officials accountable for their votes and standing up and saying something when appointed officials do things that are wrong or destructive of our freedoms.

This series will address the principles of truth that both lead to freedom and exhibit the qualities of liberty and justice for all. Join us for the quest. Our future matters!