I worry we are going to lose our freedom to the drumbeat of collectivism. As much as I care about my neighbor, I do not want to be forced to give them something I worked hard for; I want to give from the abundance of my heart.
America was founded on the principle of freedom: people can make their own choices and govern themselves. Opportunities should be available and equal for everyone, but outcomes are not guaranteed. If someone chooses not to get an education, becomes addicted, breaks the law, becomes violent, cheats, and loses their home, friends, and family, how is it my fault? If some choose to have children outside of a safe and stable marriage and cannot support them financially, why do I have to pay for nearly 90 welfare programs?
The Founders did not believe that freedom meant simply doing whatever we wanted. They understood something much deeper. A constitutional republic could survive only if its citizens possessed enough self-government, character, moral responsibility, and commitment to justice to restrain themselves when necessary.
The Constitution could establish boundaries for government. It could divide power, protect rights, and create checks and balances. But it could not make citizens virtuous. No document can substitute for character.
Keeping it requires more than defending the Constitution when it benefits us. It requires the humility to uphold principles even when doing so is inconvenient.
Self-government begins with self-regulation. It means learning to control anger before it controls us. It means resisting the temptation to lie when the truth costs us something. It means refusing to steal, cheat, manipulate, or destroy simply because we believe we can get away with it.
We see it when disagreements turn into hatred. When we treat political opponents as enemies rather than fellow citizens. When freedom of speech is defended only by those who agree with us. When we replace personal responsibility with the insistence that someone else bears the consequences of our choices.
We see it when families fracture because people refuse to practice patience, fidelity, forgiveness, sacrifice, and responsibility. We see it when young people are taught their rights but not their responsibilities. We see it when citizens demand justice for themselves while showing little interest in justice for others. And perhaps most dangerously, we see it when we begin to expect government to solve problems that ultimately require character.
A republic cannot remain healthy if citizens continually surrender responsibility for their choices. Government can enforce laws, but it cannot make us honest. It can redistribute resources, but it cannot make us generous. It can punish wrongdoing, but it cannot create integrity. The genius of the American experiment was the belief that ordinary people could participate in governing themselves because they possessed the capacity for reason, responsibility, virtue, and moral judgment. Our Constitution is not merely a legal document. It is an invitation and a challenge.
Can we disagree without destroying one another? Can we exercise freedom without abusing it? Can we pursue our own interests while keeping the common good in mind? Can we teach our children that rights come with responsibilities and that freedom requires restraint? The answer will not be found in Washington. It will be found in us.
The American experiment depends on citizens willing to practice the virtues that make liberty possible: self-control, courage, honesty, responsibility, compassion, justice, and respect for others. I hope for a country where citizens recognize that cheating, fraud, graft, and corruption can be stopped not only by laws but also by doing what is right and just. An inner locus of control, rather than fear of punishment, is essential.
I love the John F. Kennedy quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country.”
As I long for freedom, I am reminded that freedom requires giving rather than taking, character rather than chaos. This is the only way our great country can survive and thrive. joneen@narme.org