Freedom

July 4, 1776-2020 Independence Day.

by Jorge Maspons

Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.

Benjamin Franklin

...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor…

It is July 4th, 1776. A group of 56 men that today we call the “Founding Fathers” representatives of the 13 original colonies declared independence from the British Empire. They did it knowing full well the consequences of their actions. The earlier battles and struggles are now becoming the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Because of the Founders, after Cornwallis surrender, we have freedom.

For the next seven years, after achieving victory, the colonies, now independent states are governed by the “Articles of Confederation'' Under this system, however, the national government did not have enough power to keep the new nation properly maintained. They quickly saw the need to revise the Articles.

Thus, in 1787 the US Congress called themselves into a Constitutional Convention to revise the articles, but instead, they gave us a new system of Government, the one we now have, thanks to them, a REPUBLIC. They achieved what they intended. The creation of a government with the basic means to rule, Perfect balance between a national government and the independent states retaining their own rights.

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What does it mean to have freedom?. People take freedom for granted; we just don’t think about it seriously anymore. Maybe if we had lived in Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power we’d appreciate freedom more.

In America today, we need a clear, compelling, and common definition of freedom, so we’ll know when we have it and when we’re losing it. During the America’s Founding Era, freedom was on everyone’s minds. Let’s focus our thoughts on that era in order to bring out the beliefs of our American ancestors on freedom. They believed…

Because men are not angels, some amount of government is necessary to secure our God-given rights. But because government officials are men, the powers of government must be strictly limited and constantly held in check. The U.S. Constitution, given to us by our Founding Fathers, properly limits the power of government. (1)

This statement by Thomas Jefferson sums up the Founding Fathers’ view of the necessity to limit the power of government so that people can enjoy freedom: “In questions of power then, let no more be said of confidence in men, but bind men down from mischief with the chains of the Constitution.” (2)

Because men created governments (and not vice versa), the rights of government are based on the God-given rights of the individual. An individual has the right to defend his life, liberty, and property; therefore, he also has the right to join with others to form a government to defend life, liberty, and property. An individual does not have the right to violate the rights of another, and neither does the government.

Government should be large enough to secure our God-given rights, but not large enough to violate these rights. Anyone who understands this comprehends the proper role of government. (3)

If there was no government whatsoever, our rights would not be secure. Individuals acting alone would be unable to protect their liberty against the criminal acts of unjust men. In the absence of any organized government, anarchy would prevail. Ultimately, the criminals would take control and enslave their fellow citizens.

Our rights also would not be secure under a system of total government. Such a government might grant its citizens privileges from time to time, but it could also take away those privileges on a whim. Whenever the government has total power, individuals have none.

Our rights can only be secure under limited government. So, consider this for a clear, compelling definition of freedom: “Freedom is the limitation of government. It is a way station between anarchy (no government) on one end of the political spectrum and totalitarianism (total government) on the other end. In a free domain, people can enjoy their God-given rights without interference.”

Preserving freedom for future generations and ourselves is not easy. As George Washington warned, “Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” (4)

In order to situate ourselves in the “freedom position” on the Political Spectrum, we must understand the proper role of government concerning freedom and we must understand our proper role as citizens who oversee a government and who interact with one another. In regard to our role as citizens, we should remember Ben Franklin’s warning, “Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” (5)

Here is something I have read many times. It was said that upon the signing of the Constitution, as Benjamin Franklin was leaving the State House in Philadelphia, a lady approached him and asked, “Dr. Franklin, what have you done (given) us” to which Franklin answered, “We have given you a Republic, -if you can keep it.”

Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the oldest and wisest of the Founders was seeing the future and foresaw the people taking their liberty for granted

Let us, as a community of free people, adopt a clear, compelling definition of freedom, hire (elect) only men and women who agree with that definition, and live to be virtuous ourselves.

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Footnotes and References

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.”

~ James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th.4th US President, Federalist No. 51, February 8, 1788

“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.”

~ George Washington

(1732-1799) Founding Father, 1st US President, 'Father of the Country'

in a speech of January 7, 1790