Dakota Beacon

Once again Independence Day brought picnics, parades, and fun for all. After the soda and beer and hot-dogs have been consumed and after the last fireworks crackled in the night, what remained? The Dog Days of summer stretch before us and history closes the books on another Independence Day. A question nags, “Is that all there is?”

After 247 years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence many folks of an earlier generation still reflect on our nation’s quest for freedom and liberty. Eventually a contradiction arises in the minds of settled citizens. If the idea of freedom and liberty is so dear to us, then how do we account for an ever-expanding federal government and its control over our lives and property?

Our Founders were not stupid. They certainly understood the difference between freedom and liberty. “Don’t they mean the same thing,” you might ask? In a general sense, yes. They could be used as synonyms. Today the terms are used interchangeably. But, the Founders were struck by a special respect for the concept of liberty. They understood the decisive and delicate distinction between freedom and liberty. They were not ignorant of history.

Narrowly defined, freedom is the license to do as one pleases. It means that a person has been authorized to do something. This implies permission granted to do the “thing” in question.

Here is where the distinction between freedom and liberty come into play. Notice, we don’t have a “Freedom Bell” or a “Freedom Tree.” The colonists did not call their secret society advancing the rights of colonists and opposing Britain’s taxes “Sons of Freedom.” Nor do we have a “Statue of Freedom.” The term “liberty” in Liberty Bell, Liberty Tree, Sons of Liberty, and Statue of Liberty represent something quite different than mere freedom.

The distinction between the two terms lies in the SOURCE of the authority granting permission. The colonists were in many ways the product of Reformation thinking and their worldview was greatly shaped by that Christian movement. Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence described liberty second only to life as granted by the Creator. Liberty is an inalienable right, an unchallengeable right, and an immutable right granted by God. No one, especially government, can legitimately take it away except God.

Freedom, on the other hand, is granted by government. As such, a government granting a freedom can just as easily limit it – or even take it away – in part or in total. Under the guise of freedom bestowed as a right, government can add or subtract rights.

Contemporaneously, think of those who support healthcare as a right. Think also of those who carried adequate health insurance before implementation of Obamacare and then lost coverage after Obamacare was imposed. Government rules as an arbiter of rights. What happened with healthcare could happen with any government-granted freedom.

Think also of pure democracy versus a constitutional republic. In a pure democracy, 51% of the voters can decide how the other 49% must live. The majority can negate the rights of others. As Benjamin Franklin put it, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” Fortunately, we don’t live in a pure democracy. We live in liberty under a constitutional republic subject to the rule of law -- at least for now.

The paradigm of yesterday has shifted. Given our contemporary culture and state of education, a legitimate question remains. Can we match the character and wisdom of our forefathers and act decisively to preserve the legacy of liberty they have passed to us?

In the end, we do get the government we deserve whether it be modeled after King George’s England or George Orwell’s “1984.” When we behave as if our rights and freedoms come from the government, then those rights and freedoms can just as easily be taken back by the same government. Alternatively, the concept of God-given inalienable rights might be a better way to go. As such, Independence Day takes on more meaning than just a celebration with Chinese fireworks.

            In the afterglow of Independence Day 2023 think on these things and cherish liberty!

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).