By Don Jans
It is critical that we understand what we mean by freedom. Freedom is defined as the power or right to act as one thinks without hindrance or restraint. We all understand that we have to have in society some hindrances or restraints on the actions of people. The question would be, what restraints would be imposed on people and still have a free society?
Our founders answered that question for the United States. The founding principle that truly sets the United States apart from other nations is found in the Declaration of Independence and is that very famous, oft quoted, sometimes called by Biden to be that thing, and misunderstood by Americans on the right and the left when Thomas Jefferson wrote and the Second Continental Congress affirmed, “it is self-evident that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The theory of Natural Rights had been discussed for centuries. John Locke explained that every individual is the recipient of these rights that are given to each individual by God, and not man nor government. However, John Locke went on to explain that our right to freedom ends when it comes to how we treat others’ Natural Rights. Freedom, for instance, does not allow us to take the Natural Rights of others such as we cannot take the life, the liberty, or the property that belongs to others. The ‘we’ in ‘we cannot take’ includes government. That means that government cannot take our Natural Rights from us. Under this concept, the one upon which the United States was founded, so the right to life would include the right of life would apply to an unborn child, the right of liberty would be the right of all to speak freely and not have our liberty hindered due to principles like political correctness or hate speech, and our right to property or to pursue our happiness cannot be taken from us by rioters and arsonists under the guise of promoting freedom or equality for others.
A free society honors the principle of Natural Rights granted by God to be unalienable. Unalienable means that these rights cannot be taken away or denied by others, including government.
The left today, as have all aspiring dictators and tyrants throughout history, would present the illusion that they are promoting freedom and liberty for all. But in order to accomplish this goal, the Natural Rights of those who oppose the vision of freedom and liberty of the aspiring dictator or tyrant, must have their Natural Rights and liberties curtailed or rationed. Vladimir Lenin explained this concept when he said, “It is true that liberty is precious; so precious that it must be carefully rationed.” This is what the left is attempting to do today; ration our liberties.
In the statement in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson says it is self-evident, that is it does not need any proof, that all men are created equal, and yet they still have the Natural Right of liberty and to pursue their happiness. In the United States the class of society into which we are born does not limit our liberties or our dreams. In the United Sates we do not have royalty, and we do not have a caste system.
The attack on freedom by the left would be them saying that equality is measured not based on political position at birth, but during our journey of life or what is commonly referred to as ‘equality of outcome.’ Liberty and equality cannot coexist. We must either choose equality of outcome or freedom and liberty. If we chose equality of outcome we are denying the Natural Right of all to pursue their happiness. We are individuals with different attributes, dreams, abilities, and goals. If we choose liberty and freedom, we are understanding, accepting, and embracing that we will not all be equal.
Whether or not the United States succumbs to the attacks on our freedom and liberty and becomes the totalitarian state desired by the left, or if the United States repudiates the attack on freedom and liberty and embraces once again the great founding principle expressed in the Declaration of Independence, rests solely with the people of the United States. Will the people of the United States reject the false concepts of the aspiring dictators that freedom and liberty can best be achieved when freedom and liberty are controlled by the individuals holding power through the concept of government, and follow Lenin’s requirement of rationing liberty.
The way the Freedom Loving people of America can reinstate the spirit of our founding fathers is by becoming involved, informed, and interested citizens. We Freedom Loving Americans must take the time and make the effort to understand what is freedom and liberty, what is collectivism, and how do we go about communicating these differences to those people living in America who have been indoctrinated that the way of collectivism (Lenin’s and the Democrats way) promotes that the enslaving concept of equality is superior to freedom and liberty as stated by our founders.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal
Don Jans is a national acclaimed author and speaker. He is also a lifelong student of history, with a special emphasis on Russian history. His study of Russian history led to 1917 which led to the study of the teachings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Don has written five books on the topic of Collectivism (Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Fascism, and Progressivism).
Don has been a guest on numerous nationally and regionally broadcast radio programs. He is a weekly guest on a nationally broadcast radio program where he discusses collectivism and how it is impacting the United States, relating current happenings to the collectivist agenda.
Don has spoken to numerous groups across the nation on the topic of who and what is the United States and who and what is collectivism. The collectivist movement has called for a transformation of the United States. What is critical for all to understand is what is the transformation; what are we now and into what will we be transformed.
Don’s speaking approach is the same as his writing approach, and that is to be direct and straight forward with no regard for the current mandated approach of political correctness.
Samuel Adams said, “It does not take a majority to prevail… but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.” If we are to remain free, we must be about setting brushfires of freedom.
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