“They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” –Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
The dictionary defines liberty as freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control; freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, etc. regarding governmental regulations and controls. Also, liberty is freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint [this can be through governmental authorities or spiritual authorities over individuals]. In the physical world the more liberty the people have, the smaller the government.
Liberty and freedom are intrinsically tied together because liberty gives us freedom to make our own decisions. The founders believed that liberty gives freedom to every person to make full use of his gifts, intellect, and talents, as long as he does not harm anyone else while pursuing his ambitions. The founders also knew that this type of liberty required the people to embrace virtue.
Common sense leads us to understand that to have this kind of liberty requires a government that is small and less-intrusive. Most of us have not lived long enough to remember a time when the government was small. But there was a time prior to 1960 when young boys could earn money by shining shoes, paper routes, or as a caddy at the local golf course. This kept them busy, created a good work ethic and fostered an entrepreneurial spirit but most importantly it gave them a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Also, at that time it was legal for an enterprising young woman to operate a hair braiding business from her home. This enabled her to support herself and her family and feel like a contributing member of society. Today, she has to go to a beauty school to get licensed, which is not cheap, before being allowed to start her business. Oh, and she would not be able to do it from her home. Sadly, today we hear stories of children with lemonade stands being shut down by the local officials for not have a license to sell lemonade!
It is time for us to return to the love of liberty that our forefathers embraced. It was the atmosphere created by a small and limited government that fostered the innovation, creativity and ingenuity that made this nation into the most prosperous and powerful nation on earth. I pray that each of us would take our liberty producing freedoms seriously enough to take a stand when laws are introduced that restrict liberty. We must start paying attention!
Next week: Wisdom, Common Sense and Logic
Dinner Table Discussion Question: What are some ways that liberty is being restricted in America today? What can “we, the people” do about these restrictions?