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Freedom is Not Free: Our Responsibility to the Republic Daniel Young "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." To the Founding Fathers, freedom was an unalienable right. Freedom was not for sale. Freedom was the birthright of every individual, regardless of their social, economic or political standing. So freedom was free…or was it? After all, the same 56 men who affirmed, at the beginning of our founding document, the right of every citizen of this nation to be free, affirmed at the end of that document that "for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." Our forefathers recognized that freedom came from our Creator without a price tag. But the preservation of this freedom would forever place the citizens of this nation in debt. This is a debt paid in part by those whose families are forever marked with an empty chair at the dinner table, and by those families themselves. It is a debt paid in part by the millions of Americans who have answered the call of this nation to serve both in peace and in war. It is a debt paid in part by the original 56 who lived up to their pledge. And it is a debt paid in part by those who have recently fallen in the mountains of Afghanistan. These and others have paid their part of the debt owed for freedom. But to many in our time, freedom appears to be free. Its cost seems little. For too long, too many of us have ignored the debt we owe for freedom, allowing others to pick up the check. Now it is time for us to adopt the old adage, "There’s no such thing as a free lunch." It’s time for us to recognize, and act upon, the fact that freedom is not free. It is improbable and impractical that all of us will serve in the military. But that does not negate our responsibility to pay our debt to preserve freedom. While there are many ways to do this, time only allows me to focus on a few. They are found in an oath that has its origin in Great Britain. This oath was brought to our continent by an elderly gentleman by the name of William Boyce. Some of you may recall the story of Mr. Boyce. Visiting London, he became hopelessly lost in the dense London fog. He was helped by a young boy, who offered directions to Boyce and ensured his safe return to his lodgings. This boy told Boyce about the oath that motivated him to offer help, and to refuse reward. Thus were the Boy Scouts, founded by Sir Robert Baden-Powell in England, brought to the United States. The cornerstone of the Boy Scout movement is the Scout Oath, written in 1909. And while most everything in this world has changed in the past 90 years, the Boy Scout Oath has not. Why? Because – like our Constitution – it works. In the first line of the Scout Oath, there are twelve words that provide insight into three of freedom’s prerequisites, and help to illuminate the responsibilities of the individual in a republic. "On my honor…." Honor is one of those words we think we understand, until we are asked to define it. Lately, honor has become rare. We have gone so far as to denigrate and devalue it, as in the phrase "honor among thieves." Honor has no place among base and low characters. Sixty years ago, Dr. W. F. Tillet of Vanderbilt University related the story of how ermine – small animals widely valued for their fur – were hunted in Europe. Hunters would search out the den of the ermine, and daub the opening with filth, before setting the dogs loose. When the ermine would run back to its den for shelter and find that it must soil its coat to enter, it would turn and fight for its life. It would rather have its coat stained with blood than dirtied with filth. It would sooner face death than sully its most valuable and precious quality. For honorable human beings, honor is likewise dearer than life. Today, one has only to browse the newspaper headlines – whether in the news, sports, business or entertainment sections – for numerous examples of honor sacrificed at the alters of expediency and personal gain. Because honor is not genetic. It is learned. What we read in our newspapers is rooted in lessons learned in homes, at schools, and in communities. For the sake of preserving freedom, we must strive once again to be people of honor. The Scout Oath continues: "…I will do my best…." Former President Jimmy Carter, in his book Why Not the Best?, recalls being interviewed by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover for the Nuclear Submarine Program. He had hoped to make a good impression with his high marks from the Naval Academy, but Admiral Rickover surprised him by asking, "Did you always do your best?" Mr. Carter had to admit he hadn’t, to which the Admiral quickly shot back, "Why not?" Why not? This question should be asked of all of us. Why do we often think that the best is what someone else should do? We expect the best from mechanics, plumbers, teachers, pilots and others, yet too easily excuse ourselves. Doing our best may not attract worldwide attention, or even buy us thanks, but it will make a difference. It will improve our families, schools, businesses, churches and communities. A simple act, but a debt paid. The Oath continues: "…To do my duty…." When I think of duty, I’m reminded of one of the world’s foremost philosophers – Charlie Brown. I recall a discussion between Charlie and Linus about growing up. Charlie said that growing up is like being in a car. In the beginning you ride in the backseat and somebody else takes care of everything. But one day, all of a sudden, wham! You’re grown up and you can’t ride in the backseat anymore. Duty means giving up the backseat and taking the wheel. The word "duty" is derived from the French word deu. This is also where we get our word "debt." Duty is what one owes to others. We all have civic duties: to pay taxes, to serve on juries, and so on. Other duties are moral: to have integrity, to provide and care for our families, to pull our own weight. Our natural tendency is to do things that are fun, or to live for beauty. But when we become intellectually and morally aware, we find that real life is duty. We have a duty to those with whom we work. We have duties to our families, to our friends and to ourselves. Duty, like honor, is not inherited. It is taught and it is caught…by example. How many people, getting called for jury duty, react with the proper sense of responsibility? It’s quite clear that we recognize duty all too well, by the great lengths to which we go in avoiding it. We should rather face up to it, like Daniel Webster: "A sense of duty pursues us ever," he said. "It is omnipresent." Freedom was a free gift from our Creator, but our nation today faces an ever-looming debt. Freedom has seemed free up to now for many of us who have yet to serve, to volunteer, to vote, to contribute, to participate, or to make a commitment. But today we are called to do these things. History is strewn with the wreckage of great civilizations that fell, not because they lacked a great military, but for lack of morality. They crumbled from within. To preserve freedom, America needs strong families, ethical businesses colleges and universities with upstanding professors. It needs citizens who will stand up and say, "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty…." From
IMPRIMIS June 13, 2002 Vol.31 Number 6
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