Freedom vs. Liberty, the Ongoing Debate

I think it is time for some discussion of Freedom vs. Liberty, and just what is the difference?  The dictionaries aren’t so clear on this.  We generally think of freedom as an absence of restraint.  

However there is a practical limit to freedom and we call this Liberty.  One of the Founders implied that Liberty as practiced in America is for a moral People.  I tend to agree with that assessment.  It could be said that Liberty is freedom practiced with morality.

Liberty implies that we have freedom that is limited by what is morally right or correct or maybe polite.  Liberty implies that we have freedom that is exercised with responsibility to acknowledge that those around us have equal rights and liberty to exercise those rights as well.  We have to recognize that all individuals, by virtue of being human, have certain unalienable rights, which further implies that they also have Liberty to exercise those rights.

It is inevitable that during the course of exercising our individual Liberty we will “bump” into others who exercise their rights.  When that happens each one backs up a little and says, “Excuse me,” or “Pardon me,” and then each makes a little behavioral modification that preserves that peace.  They do it not because they have to, but rather because it is the polite thing to do.  It is the, “Don’t do unto others, as you would have them not do unto you,” rule.  Folks ask pardon because they “care” about other folks and do not want to cause offense or pain or discomfort to their neighbor.

There are many examples of how people practice this in everyday life. When we share a narrow sidewalk and two people must pass, each must make room to accommodate the other.  If one person just marches down the walk making those he meets step aside with no accommodation on his part then we think of that as rude and inconsiderate.  We don’t pass a law saying each must step aside.  Neither do we generally start a fight.  However at some point a person who refuses to comply with the moral etiquettes that have sprung up over generations will get a reputation that will eventually cause society to react unfavorably to him.   

Then there is the ‘little old lady with walker’ who would find it very difficult to leave the sidewalk.  Freedom says she has no more “right” to the walk than anyone else.  Morals state that, “I would never make her step aside, since I have no disability to contend with.” 

I would encourage each every member of society to practice Liberty with it's implied morality and not absolute freedom.

Weeping without shame…

Without shame I find myself weeping as I once again watch the film, “We Were Soldiers.”  The loss of life and horror of the battlefield, I am sure, falls short in the movie as I sit comfortably on the sideline and watch.  However, I find that I am profoundly affected by the power of this film.  I think of the sacrifice of life on battlefields that Americans have participated in.  I do not know whether or not all of these wars were just but I am confident that our American fighting soldiers have answered the call over and over with true allegiance to an ideal, to the hope of mankind throughout history, that being the preservation of Liberty.

I am just as certain that we have politicians who would sell their soul for money and power.  I am even more certain that this same type of politician would sell our soldiers’ and uniformed law enforcement officers’ blood for that same power.  It is my opinion that unconstitutional and unjust laws are an assault of the most reprehensible type on the People of these United States.  They carry the cloak and color of legality while they shred our Declaration of Independence and our U.S. Constitution.

I would like to make it perfectly clear that, I, Dan A. Mefford, D.C., will not comply with what I believe, based on my own study and research and the plain language of the our United States Constitution, to be an unconstitutional or unjust law.  

I am feeling a level of anxiety combined with a helpless and righteous anger against our governments both state and federal, which are constantly ramping up the invasion of privacy, denying self-protection rights, all in the name of the War on Drugs, and now the War on Terror and the various other “wars” by whatever name.  These Enemies of Liberty want to place me and my fellow citizens under a microscope while turning a blind eye to whoever comes across our Southern border.  The truth is you haven’t seen anything yet.

Please don’t tell me it is all the Democrats.  The Patriot Act is a product of the Republicans.  You should read it sometime.  I will say again as I have said in the past, the top honchos of either party, who like to pull the strings behind the scenes, are not to be trusted.  They are the closest to the seat of power, and the power drug is one of the most potent and addictive “substances” known to man.

I would hope that a great host of Citizens, cops, judges and elected officials would take a stand against this soft tyranny that is sweeping this country, in name peace and safety. Under the Republicans the speed at which we will go off the cliff will be half as fast as with the democrats.  The problem with that is they are still going to take us off the cliff and straight into tyranny.  What we need is a course change.  We need to turn back from the cliff.

Just because it is a law does not make it right.  At one time the law allowed slavery.  At one time the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) said, in essence, that black people were inferior and not capable of ruling themselves.  There are a substantial number of instances where SCOTUS has reversed itself.  The misery that they have caused before justice was finally achieved can only be imagined by most of us. 

What world will you pass to your children?  What example will you pass to your children? We hold and shape the present for our children.  What will your kids say about you?  I think I will skip the Super Bowl and go watch American Sniper.  I am confident that I will finally be able to get a seat.