We are pleased to present this guest editorial from U.S. Army Chaplain Don Zapsic (ret.)
Freedom, a.k.a. liberty. What does it mean and how much does it really matter? Most people associate freedom with patriotic displays such as flag-waving, marching bands, and anthem-laced sporting events. Articulating a working definition of freedom beyond feelings evoked is as daunting a task as a necessity. For without proper understanding, there can be little awareness of incremental encroachments upon inalienable rights nor an adequate appreciation of why such liberties should be defended at all costs.
A great challenge to stirring a free people’s passion for liberty to ensure its continued preservation lies in understanding the fundamental difference between personal autonomy and inherent responsibility. To regard freedom simply based upon personal needs and wants means that I am free to live as I choose (autonomy) as long as I don’t infringe upon the rights of others. The obligations of citizenship, however, compels an individual to look beyond his or her own situation to consider that of others as able to do so.
Is freedom prospering in America or in retreat? History points out that freedom is never so a popular a subject as when under attack. Nazi Germany and Communist Russia effectively employed propaganda with devastating results to enslave entire nations promising prosperity while delivering misery. The promotion and passage of the Affordable Care Act serves as a more recent example of how propaganda reduces freedom to mere servitude. It turned out to be little more than a sophisticated rouse utilizing statecraft to massively redistribute wealth from producer to consumer thru the iron fist of socialism in the name of democracy.
Doctrinaire proponents of social justice are quick to endorse the methodology of
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Plato’s “noble lie” to further enlighten the so-called ignorant masses thru benevolent deception. The underlying belief is that the end will justify the means thereby facilitating a materialistic society’s moral development. Such utopian-style thinking is also an assault on freedom as pointed out by F.A. Hayek in his classic book, “The Road to Serfdom.” Hayek maintains that moral development can only take place where the individual is free to choose, “sacrificing personal advantage to the observance of a moral rule (p. 216).”
Perhaps one of the greatest impediments to preserving liberty at every turn lies in the prevailing attitude that somehow freedom is a done deal. Freedom indeed is an inalienable right, but also a privilege only to be enjoyed by a society with enough patriots willing to stand at the ready and fight when necessary while others relax. The Preamble to the Constitution implies that freedom in America is a work in progress encapsulated in the phrase, “in order to form a more perfect union.” Such a union is a perishable commodity always in flux, sometimes closer or further away from the ideal perfect union worth striving for at all times.
Does freedom really matter? Only to those determined to take responsibility for their own lives void of undue interference. True patriots are not interested in suppressing the views of others and are tolerant of contrary opinions respectfully promoted. They care about people without carrying the able-bodied. Such individuals actively engage in “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” not surrendering deeply held beliefs and values when threatened by political correctness bullies. Even more importantly, a true American stands up to tyranny whether a thug on the street, judge in a black robe, or elected official who would rather rule than represent.
U.S. Army Photo