Where's My Liberty?

I was very young (sixteen) and foolish when I entered what I believed to be a scholarship pageant. I was persuaded by the invitation and application that this would be a competition based on academic excellence and intelligence, not beauty. So, encouraged by my parents and teachers, I entered the contest and boarded the bus for Jamestown, North Dakota to attend the competition. Upon arrival I began to be undeceived as to the nature of the competition when I found myself in the midst of a large group of extremely tanned, heavily made-up, fashion model-type girls, obviously competing for something besides academic excellence!

I tried to convince myself that I had at least some natural beauty and perhaps more than average intelligence, and that my attendance would not be completely in vain. After all, I thought, some people say that I am pretty smart, and that's got to count for something, right? Wrong. My skill as a model, which would have been a great asset in that competition, was almost nil, and my intelligence went completely unnoticed. Still, I had hope of at least having a small impact in the competition, on the final night when we would give our speeches to the audience. I had prepared well, and was confident of a warm reception, at least. Now, even at my young age I had noticed that there were some things in our government that had gone awry and that we needed a 'revival' of sorts to put things back to where they belonged. History seemed to be shouting that we were now going in directions unintended by those who gave their lives to bring about this most unique and wonderful condition of liberty within a unity of independent states. But, instead of affirmation, my speech was greeted with a sort of uncomfortable silence and stilted applause. I was too young to realize that there are some things that you simply cannot say to people. That is one of them.

In 1775, Patrick Henry made his famous speech in which he called for the Virginia House of Burgesses to make a declaration of war and send troops into the revolutionary conflict. His call to action was founded upon principles written in the Declaration of Independence wherein the British Government had oppressed the colonies and made life unbearable under it's tyranny. What caught my attention then, and still makes me shake my head today is that we have now come to the same condition of oppression that existed in 1775. The difference is that now, people think they deserve the freedom bequeathed to us by those who knew what it was, as well as the right to forcibly confiscate their neighbors goods. But, entitlement is the enemy of Liberty, and will prove our complete undoing if it is not put in check.

Suppose you have only two families in the whole world. Each is independent and takes care of itself. Each raises and gathers food, makes clothing and builds shelter as needed. Sometimes they trade with each other, sometimes they help each other. But one day, one family notices that the other family has three cows and they have only one. They decide that they are entitled to have three cows, just like the other family and formulate a plan to get them. So they make up a charter for both families to sign. It states that, among other things, each family will give a portion of it's goods to the other whenever there is a need, and the need will be determined by one of the family members who will be elected by the families to make such decisions and enforce them. Amidst some disagreement, the families sign the charter and begin to live normally again. But, the elected family member, who happens to be from the 'Entitlement' family, decides that the other family has had three cows long enough, and it's time to let the other family have three cows, because they deserve it. The other family is forced to comply and the cows now belong to the 'entitled' family. Thus, liberty is lost. However, no such agreement was made anywhere near 1776. But now we are told on a daily basis, in the media and by our leaders, that we are entitled to peace, health, wealth, education, food, shelter, clean air, clean water and the list goes on. But, I ask you, who is going to give it to you? Where will it come from? The only way entitlement ever comes is by force. The only way that people can convince other people to give up large portions of their property or their freedom, for the support of other people or a government (which is just more people) is to threaten them with harm if they do not. Britain tried to force the colonies, they rebelled. We, on the other hand, invite the force into our lives and the lives of others, but more than that, we feel that we, and they, deserve it.

Those famous, but vastly misunderstood, words by Patrick Henry in 1775, now ring in my ears in almost open mockery of what we have become. “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" And our reply, as a nation has become, “Give us all social security, health care, safety, food, etc. or we will kill you!”