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Freedom

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

Freedom is such a unique human condition that the only real way to possess it hinges on one's willingness to give it away. Otherwise, there would be nothing "free" about freedom. Yet, paradoxically, freedom is also something we must guard, even fight for. Operating in tandem with the individual and community-based attribute of self-respect, freedom is something, like love, that is available to us, yet something that transcends us. And the thirst for freedom is one of life's most basic desires. Countless millions spanning the multiple millennia of recorded history have willingly died in pursuit of it.

We here in the communities of South Fulton and southwest metro Atlanta can easily, even logically, say we are free. Yet there is a difference between being "free" (by virtue of constitutionally guaranteed rights) and living "free." In a free society where we don't openly have to fear for our lives, the freedom from abuses of power by government and others is sometimes proportionate to the pressure we exert on them to keep them honest and ensure our freedom. After all, adults don't always play nicely with others and they don't always share. We may not be able to prevent every misuse of our freedom but we can be aware of those misuses, we can disapprove of them, we can resist buying-in to them and, yes, we can neutralize them. Never doubt your abilities.

Whether individually or as a community, the notion of "they say jump, we say how high" is the enemy of freedom. And the enemy of freedom uses fear as its greatest motivation, its greatest asset. In our society, freedom is contingent upon the willingness of citizens to demand it while the lack of freedom is contingent upon the failure of citizens to demand it. And complacency is the biggest cop-out of all time. Its disaffected demeanor is often the outward excuse for the fear that lurks just below the surface.

As communities of people trying their best to meet their personal obligations and live their lives in relative peace, there exists a responsibility that sometimes goes unnoticed or unacknowledged. It is a responsibility inherent to freedom. It is a responsibility that requires your concern, your awareness and your involvement even if you are busy, even if you already have too much on your plate. This doesn't mean you have to attend every city council, county commission or school board meeting, but it does mean that you must keep yourselves sufficiently informed so that you know enough about the issues in your communities that you can speak intelligently about them and make thoughtful decisions (including at the ballot box) based on the most accurate information. You owe it to yourselves and your families to get involved and stay involved. There is no other way. After all, freedom is more a verb than a noun, it is more than a concept, it is more than a matter of convenience. It is a living extension of something basic in the human soul. Our forefathers died for it. So better to deal with what is real, not with an illusion someone tells you is real. Even locally, your destiny depends on your willingness to live your responsibility. There is no real future, no real life, without freedom.