FREEDOM—THE GOLDEN TREASURE OF THE SOUL

By Edwin Cooney

My first introduction, as a boy, to the concept of freedom, was the final line in the first verse of the American hymn “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” The words, of course, are “let freedom ring.”

As Americans debate the various components of health care reform in this first year of the Obama administration, from all points of the political spectrum there come cries for “freedom.” The ideological left insists that American corporatism and its rich right wing constituency, in order to line their own pockets, are perfectly willing to oppress the worker, the student, the single mom, and even middle class citizens. Right wing ideologists, on the other hand, insist that health care reform, especially if it brings about an increase in taxes or limits the prerogatives of “the free market,” will bring about the enslavement of free citizens by a “socialist-oriented” liberal government. Hence, the solution for both sides of the debate is, you guessed it, freedom.

The question, therefore, is whose freedom matters? Whose unbridled liberty to control our options for jobs, education, or health care benefits will ensure the citizen’s freedom or liberty in the future?

Few “red-blooded Americans” will contest the idea that freedom or liberty -- choose your word -- is essential to the continued economic, social, and spiritual well-being of this republic. Nonetheless, newspaper columnists and editorial writers, radio and television talk show hosts, corporate executives, and certainly politicians are perfectly willing to transform “freedom” from being the common goal of a united people to the divisive weapon of a hot political issue.

Although I am anxious for health care reform and believe that properly constructed health care reform will ease the financial and economic burdens too long suffered by too many Americans, I do not believe that any American is consciously interested in limiting anyone’s freedom. Conservative-minded Americans insist that they want to be free to assist the less fortunate among us rather than being forced to do so by government. They insist that such compulsion is legal thievery. Liberals, meanwhile, insist that affordable health care is a human right not a class privilege.

From strictly a socio/theological standpoint, conservatives and liberals often seem to be arguing the opposite side of their stated core beliefs. Conservatives, especially Christian-oriented Americans, often assert their belief that mankind has fallen from grace and therefore can’t be trusted to make responsible political and especially spiritual decisions. Yet these same Christian spiritual and political leaders insist that regulation of social activities not only is unwarranted, but evil by dint of being socialistic. Liberals, on the other hand, insist that humankind is basically good and yet they distrust and even label as selfish and greedy even the most civic-minded elements of private enterprise.

When you think about it, it’s hardly surprising that freedom means different things to different people. Freedom “from” is quite a different matter than freedom “to”. Freedom “of” offers different rewards and responsibilities than does either freedom “from” or freedom “to”. Again, there’s hardly a fair-minded American who will deny that a prime ingredient in freedom is responsibility. Therefore the inevitable question is: whose job is it to insure responsible behavior by free men and women?

The traditional or conservative answer to that question is that the protection of freedom is everyone’s responsibility. Ah! But what is our most powerful resource for that protection? The answer to that question, for many, is as true as it is unsettling: the answer is spelled “GOVERNMENT!” After all, the same “founding fathers” who wrote the second amendment also established the judiciary system where we freely and lawfully litigate our differences.

The final question here is: When are we “free”? If the prosperous banker, businessman or woman feels less free when taxed too highly, why is it so hard to understand when the less prosperous worker and consumer feels less free if not sufficiently paid or when costs for essential needs such as healthcare are too high?

Freedom is powerful, precious and invariably vulnerable to outrageous fortune. As such, freedom is not the sole property of either the rich or the poor. Freedom is the legitimate golden treasure of everyone’s soul.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY