Loading...
 

FacesOfFreedom

Hi Here are thoughts for us all. G

Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores

George Hirst

The Faces of Freedom March 23, 2006

Elden and Lorelei Neal and Dodie and I made a trip to Charleston, South Carolina the end of February. One afternoon when Elden and I were alone we were discussing the state of our nation and the idea of freedom was mentioned as a matter of concern. Eldon said, "Freedom is many things. It is not the same for you as for me." Elden and I have been friends for a long time, on several issues we have agreed to disagree. Elden and Lorelei will be remembered as teachers at the Wyoming High School. They now live near Galesburg. I will not mention any issues on the right of privacy, but at least on one issue the disagreement required a freedom to think as we did. Our thinking on the matter has not changed but we are still friends. In fact, I believe that the difference has caused me to think seriously about it and grow deeper in my thinking, and appreciate Eldon's thinking about the issue. Our individual freedom enriched our lives.

Two things in particular apply here. We are a diverse people. Diversity provides a rich source of our common life. Diversity requires respect for others as well as an ability to express our own thoughts. This demands practice. We cannot blindly agree or walk away in anger

There is security in the things we keep. The habits that possess us provide a routine that provides a basis for our lives. The places in which we live and the daily routine all keep our lives stable. The world is changing, however, we learn about one another and we are learning new information about the world that it is is growing and changing. Not every thing is set in concrete. This is often uncomfortable. Our personal freedom is not always the same. Our Freedom is dependent on where we are, who we are with and the details of the present situation.

The Primary election had a lot of electioneering about changes that need to be made. Everybody talked about how bad things were and how things will be like it used to be. A change we really need is for candidates to talk about the causes of the problems, not the people who have caused them. Discussions about how the changes would be made would be helpful in making decisions for our voting.

This is the place where the many faces of freedom really come to light. There are a lot of opinions about where the problems came from and what caused them. All of them have merit. We must learn to express our freedom by sharing our ideas. Consensus needs to be sought so that the people we elect will understand what we expect of them and not what they tell us they will do.

SourGrapesAndSaddleSores
Created by KKris. Last Modification: Saturday 09 of September, 2006 17:33:23 EDT by KKris.