The Other Side Of Freedom

The Other Side of Freedom

John Paul Derryberry

Watching videos of people screaming about Freedom and seeing the online memes mocking people who don't ride the freedom train has been an experience I didn't think I would have in my life. Freedom is a complex and impossible definition to nail down in a culture as diverse as America. We find ourselves at a weird inflection point, where screaming a single word, "Freedom," justifies our actions toward others. The other oddity is how we apply that Freedom. If Freedom means the right not to wear a mask, why is it not Freedom if you choose to wear a mask? If Freedom only means your freedoms, you are not really using the definition of that word correctly.

Just like if you think everyone should be forced to wear a mask, we are not as clear about Freedom as we believe. I don't remember much from a Government class in high school. Still, I vividly remember our teacher telling us that Freedom in the USA is beautiful because his freedoms stop at our rights. It is the perfect statement for our current times. As we have intertwined more in society, social issues divide us further apart. We seem to be in an era of confusion about what participating in a just, free, and equal community means.

Maybe the complexities we have to navigate to have a healthy society mean living in the mess that Freedom creates. Disagreeing about religion, the government's role, and the private sector's social responsibility comes with the territory of a healthy free society. If that is somehow taken away, will we eventually lose our freedoms? That's because the other side of Freedom is a nasty place to be: where only particular views are allowed to be held; where only a few get to say what goes on in our society; where anyone's religion gets to make and enforce the rules. That's decidedly not Freedom, even if that religion claims to be a loving one.

And whether one chooses to believe it or not, the perks of Freedom, in this writer's opinion, are the responsibility and accountability Freedom requires. Leaders must follow those two tenants if they want Freedom to continue. It requires restraint, work, and respect for the wishes of others. You must curtail some of your worst ambitions if you truly want a free society. One only accomplishes that by taking accountability for their poor actions against freedom and being responsible enough not to pursue their worst thoughts. Freedom isn't your way or the highway. It's as many roads as possible to a healthy life contributing to the success of your community.