There is No Such Thing as Freedom
So where do I get off in the proclaimed ‘land of the free’, the land ‘conceived in liberty’ claiming that the foundation upon which this nation is founded does not exist? We love to talk about freedom and lay claim to being free. We do any number of things in the name of freedom. But, has anyone ever stopped to think about what freedom really is and what it isn’t, what it can or cannot do, what we can or cannot do, what freedom means and doesn’t mean, who has it and who doesn’t, how it is used or abused. Most Americans when asked about whether they are free get a puzzled look on their face and one would guess that they are wondering: ‘Why are you asking such a stupid question?’ ‘The answer is self-evident.’ ‘Freedom is part of the fabric of American life and the foundation of the American ‘dream’’. ‘Freedom is a God given right and is inherent in being a self-acting organism. It is a right stolen by many other political systems and guaranteed by the United States Constitution.’ We look at freedom as the ultimate good, the standard, an absolute. These are wonderful ideals, but in context what does freedom really mean? If it does exist why isn’t it what we think it is or wish it to be?
We are fond of thinking of freedom as the right to do whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” No holds barred, no restrictions, no limitations. We even think often that this means that we can choose our actions and the consequences independently.
Can I freely jump off of a building? May I choose not to hit the ground? Can I choose to play the piano fabulously? May I do it without practicing? Can I represent my country in the Olympics and win the decathlon gold medal? Can I do it from my couch while watching TV? Can I graduate summa cum laude from Harvard? Can I do it without learning to read or study? Am I free to act stupidly and be thought wise? May I yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater? May I freely enter a synagogue, mosque, cathedral or temple and scream out obscenities to Jehovah, Allah or Jesus? Can I loudly proclaim in my megaphone as you are going to your chosen place of worship that your God is wrong and that he hates you? What if you are Moslem or Jewish or Mormon or Catholic; can I do it then? Can I tell the president I want to kill him? May I even tell anyone I want to harm the president? Can I talk about bombs on airplanes? May I even fly on an airplane without being closely checked for bombs and weapons or anything remotely like a weapon? Can I drive a truck full of explosives into a federal building? What if I don’t agree with some of the policies or actions of the government? What if they won’t listen to me? Can I then kill hundreds who work for that government, or are doing business in that government building or are children in the daycare in that building (who don’t even as yet know what a government is)? Can I drive on the left hand side of the road? Can I drive without wearing a seatbelt? Can I fly an airplane into a building and kill thousands because I think the government should change its politics and the people their religion? Can I bully and belittle the students in my high school? Can I kill those in my high school who bully and belittle me? Can I say whatever I want on a crowded subway? Including racial slurs? Can I exploit the workers in my employ? Can I harass them? Sexually? Can I convert to whatever religion I want? Can I kill those who won’t convert? Can I own a firearm? Can I take it wherever I want? Can I use it however, whenever, wherever I want? Can I be killed by terrorists or criminals using guns? May I kill terrorists or criminals using guns? May I smoke in a designated ‘non-smoking’ area? Can I write my own newspaper? Can I say anything I want in that paper? Can I assemble with all my friends and freely participate in activities that I believe in? What if some of those activities may not be considered politically correct? What if some of my beliefs may not be considered to be politically correct? Can I burn crosses into lawns? May I kill someone I hate? May I kill someone I don’t like? May I kill someone who is inconvenient to me? What if they haven’t been born yet? Can I hate someone who is different than I am? What if they are doing things that I think are morally wrong? Can I tie them to a fence post and beat them to death? What if they want to teach my children that they are right? Is it all right for people to drive drunk? Is it okay to be a drug salesperson? Is it okay to be a drug dealer? Is it okay to sell tobacco and alcohol? Does the age of the customers matter? Can I discipline my children if they disobey? Can I use whatever means I feel best at the moment? Is there a difference between may and can? Should there be?
Notice I am not answering any of these questions. I don’t intend to. I pose them only to demonstrate that freedom is not the simplistic concept we imagine. We Americans love and cherish freedom; all people love freedom. We think we know what it means. We are wrong.
Let us think about freedom more deeply and try to understand what it really means. I don’t pretend to have the answers to the questions I have posed or the unnumbered questions that could be posed. I don’t imagine that I know even a small fraction of the questions to be posed. I want to ask you some questions and pose some plausible answers. I want you to think about what freedom means to you. I want you to think about what freedom requires of you. I hope it will help us all to have more freedom. I think freedom is one of the ultimate gifts given to us as human beings. We have an obligation that goes with that gift. Mistreating, abusing or ignoring it, disrespecting or taking this gift for granted will diminish or destroy it. I hope you have noticed that even in this context I have used some un-free words in talking about freedom. Is it not contradictory to suggest that freedom ‘requires’ something or that there is an ‘obligation’ involved? Can I suggest that it is a ‘gift’ and that I can’t just treat it how I want? Isn’t this like a child’s Christmas gift that he can break if he wants? But then what of the gift if it is broken? We have all heard the ultimate conundrum: ‘Freedom isn’t free’. What was the price of freedom? What is the price of freedom? Is it worth the cost of securing and defending it? Can we enhance and increase it? How do we maximize the enjoyment of freedom for all?
If freedom doesn’t exist why is it even worth talking about?
“Freedom means everything for without freedom everything means nothing.”
Please join me in examining the territory.
Please note that much of the content of this book is presented in the form of questions. I could give you answers but they would be my opinions. Instead I give you questions for which I hope you will think, really think about your own answers.
