As we have pondered freedom and what it really means, I found these quotes from The Bravewriter Blog
Why is freedom important? It is all about economics and wanting power and money? I watched The Crossing, about the first major battle led by Washington (where he crossed the Delaware), which turned the tide of the war.
Washington was showing his disgust for the German Hessions against whom he was fighting for Trenton. They were paid mercenaries, fighting not for principle but for money.
His advisor said to him that it is really all economic. Washington himself was fighting for money. The colonists didn't like taxes, the British wanted the wealth. Is that all they were fighting for? When is fighting and war acceptable?
This runs deep especially with our faith and the concept of 'just war'.
I am still working this out, but I think the quotes below shed some light. Still a current topic in our times.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!–Benjamin Franklin
Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.–John Adams (1735-1826)
Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President
Four freedoms: The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of everyone to worship God in his own way, everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.–
(By the way, in an endnote in the movie it said that 16,000+ German mercenaries came over to be paid warriors. 10,000+ returned home. Of those left many thousands were estimated to have survived and settled here, to become part of our America.)
1 comment:
I tend to think that freedom is important because it is an inbuilt desire in humans - we are born with the God given ability to the use of free will and when that is taken away it creates discontent, I think.
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