Liberty: Dictionary.com has several definitions listed. Here are the two I think most applicable.
freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
Liberty: There was a man once who made a very famous statement on the subject. That man was Patrick Henry. His statement was “Give me liberty or give me death”. He obviously had strong feelings about the subject.
Liberty: France once gave us a statue. It currently sits in New York harbor. You may have seen it. It’s called The Statue of Liberty. It stands as a symbol of freedom and liberty to the world. I suppose France could have kept it for themselves or given it to some other country – they didn’t.
Liberty: There is a rather famous document that says our Creator endowed us with certain inalienable rights. Liberty is one of three mentioned by name. This document is one of the most profound in all of human history and is foundational to our nation’s very existence.
Men and women have bled and died for the sake of liberty.
People have come and continue to come to our shores by the thousands in search of liberty. Some risking their lives to do so.
Ours is not a nation without faults. But still a mere glance across the history of the last two centuries shows we have used our liberty well and have been largely a force for good in the world.
A precious individual right of self-determination. A dream-come-true for the oppressed. A hope for those who would be free. A hallmark of these United States Of America.
Our nation now stands on the brink of a new era, soon to be led by a man who by word and deed has indicated he does not hold individual liberty in such high esteem. We are asked to support this man. We are asked to reconcile differences and heal wounds. We are asked to believe in change. I don’t know about his coming change, but I do know a little about liberty. And who among us believes when this man is finished with his promised change that liberty will remain as strong then as it is now? And who will be left among us to stand in defense of liberty when so many will lie beholden to the governmental yoke? Can we even imagine Patrick Henry’s words being uttered by those who are about to occupy the halls of leadership?
Does this sound corny and melodramatic? Do you imagine you can hear The Battle Hymn of the Republic being whistled in the background like some cheesy soundtrack? Funny, what I hear are the voices of those who we honor today – veterans. These for whom the word liberty is more than a statue, document, or dictionary definition. Those for whom liberty was precious enough that they were willing to die to protect it. In the next four years I suppose we shall see how precious liberty is to the rest of us.
Thank you, all veterans. Thank you. I pray your sacrifice was not in vain.
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