Hopefully, we have all heard the revolutionary cry of our forefathers, "Give me liberty or give me death." That expressed a mood that was very prevalent during the revolutionary times. Another quote that has always stirred up deep emotions for me was from one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin.
In 1759, he said,"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." In light of the September 11 hijackings, and in light of the government's attempt to curtail our freedoms for the safety of our citizens, I find this saying to be most apropos in today's world. Not because I don't believe in fighting evil. In the case of WWII, it was most necessary. Evil, no matter where or what the origin is, should be fought.
No, I find Mr. Franklin's statement most interesting because it asks for us to have faith in Democracy and Liberty. I believe that having that faith is the cornerstone of any great democracy. I parallel that to a Christain having faith in Jesus and God (no matter what happens, always believe).
In the case of Democracy, we must have faith that no matter what happens, no matter what opinions take shape, no matter what our circumstances, if we are to believe in Democracy, then we must act accordingly and not trade it in for our safety. The millions of solders who died in WWII didn't think of their safety, the fought for their country and freedom. God bless them!
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This is a hard one because although that was said would it be agreed upon by all, and if not then the minorities would then have their Freedom or Liberties stripped away. It is a bit hard to tie Democracy, Liberty, Freedom, and a good Government that makes sense altogether. After all this country is a melting pot, the original ideals of this nation has changed through many sources including immigration.
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