Editor,
Independence Day
Every July, as a nation, we celebrate our hard-won independence from the tyranny of England. But what does that mean? In 1776, the thirteen original colonies banded together as a union, and formally declared their independence. That was not the end of conflict, though. The Revolutionary War was only beginning, and lasted for seven more years. This is the idea that I want to expound on here;
I find these two quotes profoundly accurate. One might not often find quotations from Ronald Reagan and Adolf Hitler linked together to make a point, however, I find their contrast particularly powerful. Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free”. This speech was given in 1961, but was just as relevant in 1787 or here in 2014. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler explained that “The best way to take control over a people and control them utterly is to take a little of their freedom at a time, to erode rights by a thousand tiny and almost imperceptible reductions. In this way, the people will not see those rights and freedoms being removed until past the point at which these changes cannot be reversed.”
Freedom should be the responsibility and goal for all Americans. For it to continue, the principles of liberty must be ever present in our daily lives. The “laws of Nature, and of Nature’s God” that we are entitled to demand that we are able to govern ourselves with very little need of artificial subjugation. Government exists to protect our rights, not to decide how best our lives can be lived.
This becomes ever-apparent when one takes the time to look at the “tiny and almost imperceptible reductions” that Hitler was so fond of that are taking place in every city or town in our nation. The real danger in such an approach is that it is so easy to fall for it. A city may choose to take on a role or project that it has no business or privilege being involved in to “better” the lives of their citizens. Tax the citizens to build a new pool? Sure, it’s only a few bucks here and there but it provides a fun place for the kids, right? A tiny, imperceptible reduction in your freedom by TAKING your money to be put toward a project you might not want. Enact ordinances to regulate how your neighbor’s house and yard look? Sure, as long as it makes YOUR home value increase, right? Another tiny, imperceptible reduction in your freedom by forcefully removing your authority over your own private property “for the greater good”. Meanwhile, the city council believes they have served their community well, by improving their quality of life. In truth, they have cooperated in the destruction of those principles of liberty that founded the greatest nation in the history of mankind. Over the past 238 years, our government has done nothing but grow larger, imposing itself in every facet of our lives.
The philosophies that guided our forefathers as they petitioned for, and ultimately went to war for freedom insisted that each of us was qualified to lead our own lives, free from government subjugation. This did not mean that men were free to act as they pleased without consequence, but rather, and more precisely, they were only held to a consequence if their actions infringed on the basic rights of another. Compare that to an ordinance today which might limit the number of cars a person might have on their property. Those cars may be an eyesore to you, certainly, but you have the freedom to build a fence on your property, or to move somewhere else. The presence of those cars are likely not infringing on your inalienable rights, and are therefore not in the realm of your influence to change. This is the point where many people decide that regulation is okay, because they want their neighborhood to look nicer, hold more value, etc. If we turn the tables though, we can easily see that such arbitrary regulation is wrong. What if YOUR basic property rights were the ones being disrespected? What if YOU were in the minority? If your neighbors suddenly began mandating how things are done on your property, or in your home, would you still prioritize how it affected your neighbor’s home value, or would you insist that YOU are quite capable of deciding the affairs in your life?
We have to take a stand against these “tiny, imperceptible reductions” as we see them occur, not because we find that they immediately affect US, but because as they multiply, they begin to have more and more influence in our daily lives. Before we know it, we find ourselves in the situation many of us have finally recognized as a reality today; America, the “land of the free” is anything BUT free. A lost cause it is not, but it may be shortly if we don’t reverse direction, and demand those rights were are entitled to by God and Nature.
This Independence Day, please take the initiative to ponder, discuss, and share these ideas amongst your family and friends. Recognize what freedom is, and, more importantly, what it is not. When you hang up, salute, or celebrate your flag, please remember that it does not just represent a nation, but a set of principles and ideals that have rarely been found anywhere else in the world, and that are in very real danger of disappearing. Most importantly, live free.
-Mike London
