What it Means to be Free

I will not try to improve upon the discourse below.  I thought it perfect the way it is said.  The question I ask is whether or not we wish to abdicate our responsibilities as free citizens to become "enabled" by our governments, and thus give up our freedoms?  The founders knew socialism and rejected it.  They knew communism and rejected that.  The American government system was unique and was intended to minimize the impact of government upon citizens and allow the citizens to become the most prosperous and self sufficient possible.  The Constitution is a document that restricts the government, not the citizen.  Don't let anyone tell you different.  The Bill of Rights places restrictions on government and outlines specific rights it cannot infringe upon.  There is nothing in the Constitution that tells us what a citizen must or must not do.

The founding principles worked until the last century when progressives, communists, Marxists and socialists realized they could infiltrate our government and pass laws that would have people become more dependent upon government and therefore less free.  Freedom involves economic as well as physical freedom.  Taking money from the government does not provide economic freedom, it binds people to the government and gives up the right to work and make your own living.  In this war against socialism that we are now locked into, no one will come with a weapon and force you to take government money.  They know... THEY KNOW... that people are weak and will put out their hand if enough is offered.  Remember this; it is one of the things my father first taught me:  There is no such thing as a free lunch.  There is ALWAYS a catch, always.

Source:  http://www.founding.com/

The Alphabet of Freedom is found on this web site.  The alphabets can be used in teaching our youth (and ourselves) and covers both economics and politics.  The following conclusion is taken from this web site.

Freedom is a great blessing; it is man's natural right. Free society offers maximum opportunities for human prosperity and happiness. But freedom is also a great responsibility. More is required of a free people than any other. They must be informed, civic-minded, and self-reliant. In addition to thinking of themselves as individual men and women, and as members of families, churches, and other private associations, Americans must think of themselves as citizens of a free country. The Alphabet of Freedom is a summary of the principles, institutions, and practices of American constitutional government and free society.

In his First Inaugural Address, George Washington described what was, and still is, at stake in the great American experiment in freedom: "The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." If freedom cannot flourish in America, it likely cannot flourish anywhere. On the other hand, if America succeeds, it becomes a model for people around the world who love liberty and seek to make their own governments freer.

The destiny of America is in our hands. America trusts its future and its security to each new generation of Americans who can and will make America what they want it to be. All American citizens should take ownership and pride in their country because, in truth, this land is their land. But Americans must always remember that their own well being, and the well being of their families and friends, is intrinsically connected to the well being of our country. It is to our advantage, and it is our duty, to make America the best it can be. In carrying out this duty, we can find no better guidance than the principles of freedom, the abc’s of freedom that form the Alphabet of Freedom.