It’s Not About That

© Mark Combs 8/1/2009

Its not about Bush or Obama, its not about left or right, its not about blame or credit; its about liberty and freedom.

A liberal friend of mine told me the other day that “your definition of freedom is just different from mine. We will never see things the same way.” He may be right. We may never see eye to eye on many issues, but the thought of Freedom’s definition being different bothered me. So I looked it up.

The dictionary defines Freedom as (1) the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. (2) exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc. (3) the power to determine action without restraint.

So then my thoughts turned to what our Founding Fathers really meant. Did they mean freedom from any risk, or consequence? Did they mean freedom from thinking for myself, that everything will be provided for me? We don’t have to guess what the Founders really meant or envisioned, they wrote it down multiple times.

“It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government.”
- Alexander Hamilton;

“The Constitution and the laws are supreme and the Union indissoluble.”
- Andrew Jackson;

“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”
- John Adams;

“I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.”
- Thomas Jefferson;

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
- Thomas Jefferson.

I have yet to find one quote, one sentence, one line, or even a word that condones the recent direction of our country. I have read our Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. I have digested the writings of Jefferson, Paine, Adams, and the patriots of our birth. I have searched the Federalist Papers, but I find nothing that endorses a large invasive governing body.

So far this administration and congress have yet to consult the wisdom of our Founders, evidenced in the growth of every level of government, passing legislation without reading the bill, and a huge and growing national debt.

I did find a solid depiction of the two versions of Liberty we have to chose from, it’s from Lincoln.

“We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name – liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names -liberty and tyranny.”

I don’t care where you stand. I don’t care who you voted for. I don’t even care what you believe in. I do care about this country and our freedom. This day, you must chose the America you wish to have, Liberty or Tyranny.

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