“Liberty is to the collective body, what health is to the individual body. Without health, no pleasure can be tasted by man; without liberty, no happiness can be enjoyed by society.” - Thomas Jefferson

“All government, of course, is against liberty.” - H.L. Mencken

For most of human history, certain small groups or individuals wielding significant coercive power ruled over subjects with iron fists and often “divine rights”. The vast majority of human history shows a complete suppression of individual liberty and personal freedom to pursue and defend life, liberty and the individual pursuit of happiness and property.

It was only through a long, well-reasoned, often very bloody and trying struggle that individuals secured the extremely just right to self-determination and freedom from brutal violence, oppression, tyranny and coercive control. At certain periods tyranny came via plunder and ravage at the hands of roving bands of looters and destroyers. At other periods, tyranny came via the hands of an absolute dictator or monarch, or even a staunch oligarchy, controlling the masses and brutalizing anyone who would dare step out of line of the orders of the central authority.

In many areas of the world, one or both of the above-mentioned brutal environments still exists. Individuals’ rights to liberty and freedom from coercive force at the hands of lawless thugs or overly authoritarian governing bodies have constantly been at risk and remain tedious at all times. Those who enjoy a modicum of freedom must always remain vigilant to keep what are their just rights. It is not an easy task, as history has plainly shown, to maintain and protect an environment of liberty from aggressive force.

In the very early period of the settlement of what is now known as the United States, the colonial Americans were unique in that they were often ones who fled Europe to escape tyranny and seek self-determination. Whether it was economic or socio-religious freedoms these groups of individuals were seeking, it was a climate of distrust and apprehension of central authority and unjust rule that laid the foundation for one of the greatest stands in assertion of individual liberty in the history of the world. This ragtag group of adventurers, merchants, farmers and statesmen - this group of individuals - stood firm in defiance of the greatest world empire of the time, the British Crown. The founders of America placed individual liberty from excessive control and coercion at the forefront of their battle, and they won.

Early America, with leaders well-versed in Enlightenment-era ideals, finally established a governing entity, a limited republic, that outwardly stated its goal as existing solely to defend the lives, liberties and free private pursuits of its citizens. It was an amazing and unprecedented step. People were no longer servants to central authority, the central authority became a servant to them! Of the people, by the people, and for the people.

There was a problem, however, with the initial republic, and it was a big problem with very large ramifications that exist to this day. The problem was that race-based slavery was allowed in what was otherwise a philosophically sound government. What fools on this specific subject! You and I pay to this very day for the mistake that was made in allowing slavery to continue in the United States for roughly 90 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

This MASSIVE imperfection in America’s history allowed for other significant imperfections to grow and morph within the republic and, in my mind, is the most clear-cut reason why the founding individuals of the United States do not get the full credit they would otherwise deserve for asserting and defending the sovereign place of the individual and the role of the government as limited to the defense of its citizens only.

Their legacy of libertarian defense of the individual, however, and his/her right to live free economically, socially, religiously, and in all ways, as a peaceful human being free from coercive force of either thugs or central dictators, is what allowed the United States to become the home to freedom, liberty and individual success.

Over time, people have gained and lost certain freedoms, our dedication to individual liberty and personal responsibility has been tested. Over time the assertion of the individual’s place as the primary value, as well as the concepts of self-determination and freedom from aggressive force, have been valiantly defended as well as viciously attacked.

Freedom, liberty and a belief in personal responsibility have also been worn down by attrition. It is hard to defend liberty. There are many out there who want control. There are many out there who are power hungry or authoritarian by nature. There are many out their who are general cowards and fear freedom and free individuals. There are many who do not understand that the policies they propose, though admirable in intention, really subjugate a primary right of self-determination and individual sovereignty, to a desire for slogan-based ideas such as equality of outcome or opportunity for all. There are many philosophies and ways of thinking that attack the idea of liberty every single day.

Liberty takes a lot of hits.

And now the threat we face includes a return to tyranny based on fear and excessive authoritarianism. There has been an extreme outbreak of police brutality in the United States in recent years. Coincident with the war on terror, the war on drugs and the general attack on individual liberty as a primary value, there has been a rise in authoritarian rhetoric, abusive actions and attacks on our rights as free citizens.

It is extremely important to have a police force and governing bodies to execute the minimal amount of laws needed to defend people from obvious attacks on their lives and liberties. We deserve and should expect an honest crime fighting force dedicated to eliminating obvious criminal attacks on individuals or their property. Violent offenders and frauds should be dealt with to the extent of the law and we should all be diligent in our defense of our rights not to be brutalized by thugs or stolen away by shady thieves of all stripes. Honest, hardworking crime fighters should be seen as heroes and protectors of our freedom from fear of force or fraud. But we also need to be vigilant in ensuring that our public servants respect their limited place and eliminate any and all overly aggressive actions against law-abiding, honest, free citizens. Even those who may be somewhat out of line need to be protected. I have been hearing about far too many cases where someone, who may be a little strange, or may be a little out of it, getting pummeled, tased or even killed at the hands of an extremely overzealous officer. This is simply not okay in a liberty-loving society. Police brutality needs to be very much curbed in our society and the authoritarian streak needs to be limited to where it belongs - simply protecting people from force or fraud.

The George W. Bush presidency has been one of an attack on liberty that has simply gone too far. From the fear-mongering associated with the war on terror, to the continuation of the foolish policies associated with the very ugly war on drugs, to the passage of blatantly anti-freedom acts such as the Patriot Acts, the Military Commissions Act, and others, and the creation of secret prisons, warrant-less wiretapping of citizens, suspension of Habeas Corpus, and other clearly anti-liberty measures, the environment in America today is decidedly less vigilant in DEFENSE of liberty.

Before we give up our freedoms out of fear of a variety of threats, whether real or imagined, we need to step up and understand that we have been given a gift that the vast majority of people in the history of the world have been severely denied - the right to live free, live with courage, take responsibility for ourselves, make our own decisions, determine our own course, and generally reap what we sow for ourselves. We must not give up our freedoms out of fear. We must stand tall to all threats to our basic rights of life, liberty, the pursuit of what we earn and the pursuit of that which makes us happy. Do not allow yourself to give in to fear - whether it be of “terrorists”, police, thugs in the street, or government thugs and overly aggressive so-called “leaders”.

If we want our children and grand children to live in an environment of freedom, peace, and prosperity, we must act diligently to maintain, protect and defend our essential individual rights from all those who would aim to attack them and take what is rightfully ours. Do not be complacent at emerging threats, instead be diligent, stand tall, and realize that their are those out there who would deny the individual his/her right to determine his/her own life. Only free people can answer this threat and reason, diligence and sound judgment are our most important tools for maintaining our ability to live without fear of overly aggressive threats to freedom. Please do not sit idly by…

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Kemp Moyer

“Where liberty is, there is my country.” - Benjamin Franklin

Filed under: Politics, Social Mood