By Barry Curtis
The five most powerful words ever uttered on this continent or any other are “I am a free man.” These five simple words hold the power of nations. They have determined the plight of a people, the quality of life for many generations and have often rallied a desperate hope.
Our founding fathers knew the power of proclaiming such words. In 1775 these small feeble 13 colonies shook their fist at the most powerful nation on earth. This defiance was not out of boast or anger, but of a fundamental yearning of the human spirit to rid itself of restraints.
The fundamental argument is that we are free from them, it, “they” and all that may enslave us. We as free men reject any unfair restrictions that prohibit the freedom to worship as desired, work in the profession I am qualified to carry out, keep my earnings, own personal property, take risks that the human spirit may desire and the right to protect me, my family and possessions.
I make my claim of freedom based not on the permission of man or government, but by my GOD given right at conception. I understand that government is instituted among men to preserve the liberties of a free people, not by empowering a government, but by restricting the authority of that government.
“A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins,” according to Benjamin Franklin.
The very nature of freedom means without entitlement for us or burdens placed on others. If I am truly free then I must accept the responsibilities of freedom.
Freedom implies risks. This is not purely in the acts of open defiance. Risks include working for a wage and the ability to care for your family. No entrepreneur or inventor has ever been successful through a free lunch, a free cell phone or government housing. All prosperous endeavors have originated through risks. Henry Ford never received a welfare check to produce his model T, Drake didn’t wait for a government subsidy to drill his commercial oil well, and the Wright Brothers were selling bicycles successfully well before they ventured into flight, all with no government check.
Freedom is not free.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same,” according to President Ronald Reagan.
The constitution and the BILL OF RIGHTS are not just words on an old document. They are real, written with the blood of conviction, sealed with the deeds of courage and preserved by a vibrant and determined posterity.
When we utter the words I am a free man. Remember the force of history it carries! When we utter the words I am a free man, remember the debt of slain warriors who gave as Lincoln proclaimed “their last full measure of devotion.” When we utter the words I am a free man, be ready and willing to defend its creed.
I am a free man.
