What Is Freedom?
By T. F. Williams
What is freedom? Why did the founders of the United States of America think it was worth dying for? From where do our individual rights come and why are they so important? Who is really trying to curtail or eliminate those freedoms? How are they trying to curtail them? What can each of us do to combat these attempts? Why is this even important?
Freedom is the cornerstone on which America was founded; freedom in all its forms. Freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of our person, freedom of privacy, freedom from government intrusion without probable cause, economic freedom, freedom of association, and the freedom to be a noble person or a raging piece of excrement. Those are our choices and we, as individuals, make the choices for our lives to be the person we envision ourselves to be regardless of what others think or want you to be.
Freedom of expression means you express yourself as you see fit, and others get to express themselves however they see fit. Should you take into account others feelings and point of view as your express yourself? Of course, but it isn't a requirement under our constitution. Each of us decide, according to our standards, ethics and free will, how we make our thoughts, ideas, and feelings known. The rights we have are for everyone and trying to shut out one group's expression degrades the entire concept of free speech.
Speech codes, trying to keep people from talking because you don't like what people have to say, or using a position of power to preclude people from voicing opinions differing from your own is wrong. Feelings are no reason to erase someone's inherent right to freedom of expression.
These rights are ours, each of us, because we are human beings and they are our birthright as image bearers of God. You do not have to believe in God, that is also your right as a human being. You do not have to believe in anything or anyone; but, it also means we each have to extend the same courtesy to those who disagree with us. This is the ability we have lost. We cannot seem to agree to disagree. To accept the very possibility that other's opinions should be given an airing just as our own.
It doesn't mean there is an equality of correctness or validity, but unless an idea is expressed it cannot be examined for correctness or validity. An idea has to be examined by everyone, peer reviewed, to determine the efficacy. Which means it must be put out for all to see and examine. Even when the majority decide an idea is efficacious there are those who will continue to disagree; this is also necessary.
A vast majority of us have come to understand institutions of the past, such as indentured servant-hood, slavery, child labor, and separating ourselves along ethnic and tribal lines, are wrong and lead to nothing but further distrust, miscommunication, and violence. We cannot make a better society or civilization by going backward and retreading old ground; as seems to be happening now. We are allowing ourselves to be pulled back into those old behaviors which have caused nothing but division, hurt, and actual violence; what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia is but one example. Another example is what has happened at Virginia Tech this year with student requested ethnically separated graduation ceremonies.
How did we forget the lessons of the past? How did we allow people to again separate us according to tribe and ethnicity. How could the teaching and example of the Reverend Doctor King become so distorted or forgotten? How could we forget God is no respecter of persons? That we are all equal in His sight? None of us are better or worse in God's sight regardless of tribe, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender or any other factor we choose differentiate ourselves. God judges us each as individuals according to our behavior and beliefs as stacked up to His standards.
We choose how we respond to the freedom of expression of others. Are we going to allow people to use the tactics of Saul Alinsky to try to demonize people for sincerely and legitimately held beliefs. Allowing others to speak and express themselves doesn't mean we agree with them; rather, it means we respect them as we do ourselves and allow them the same freedom we allow ourselves. We can only control ourselves and no one else. It is time we lived accordingly.
