(An article appearing in the July 1982 issue of The Freeman,
by Leonard Franckowiak)
Dear America:
Please allow me
to introduce myself. My name is Liberty. I am the way of life one earth which gives every
human being the freedom to follow his special pathway to the pot of gold at the end of his
own special rainbow. I am the way which encourages each person to fully develop his
God-given talents and abilities. In my way, people are free to create; free to grow in
mind, spirit and heart; free to discover their own uniqueness and fulfill their own
special destiny. I engender expression of man’s God-given free will in any way which
is peaceful.
You sing about
me in your songs and my name is mentioned some time, somewhere every single day of the
year:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which if stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
See. There I am,
near the end of the Pledge of Allegiance, linked arm and arm with Justice. For centuries
men have yearned for me but knew me not – except perhaps – for a fleeting moment
in the freedom of the forest or on the blue waters of the lake. Men have enjoyed my
splendor, perhaps, under the hot sun in the farmfields or in the cool breeze on the
hilltops.
Centuries ago
the Lord came down from heaven and said, “I am the Lord, thy God; thou shalt not have
strange gods before Me.” Strange gods, however, did appear. There were the pagan gods
of fire and lightning but they would be struck down by the Oneness of Him who is in
Heaven. More strange gods appeared in the form of kings, dictators, and the lord high
politburo. The God of Heaven would be usurped by interlopers and man would kneel before
two masters: the true God of Heaven and the false man-made god of earth. The God of Heaven
would be as He always was – merciful, just and good – and He would give to man
the dignity of humanity in the expression of free will.
The insidious
god of earth, however, would declare himself sovereign and master over all those in his
dominion and declare:
We are all mortals but you, my subjects, are more mortal than I for you shall live or die at my command. You shall toil in the fields or vineyards or factories as I direct. And the fruits of your labors shall be taken from you, in part or in whole, and shall be spent, divided or appropriated in accordance with my whims, fancies, dictates and caprices. I am your king and master; you are my servant and slave.
Men would do as
their earthly masters directed but he burden was heavy upon them. Men would quest for me,
Liberty, because I would have no man in bondages. It is the axiom of my way that all men
are created equal in the image and likeness of God. Even though I held the promise that
men of free will would indeed be free, still I could not be had.
But my time was to come. People
would emigrate to a new land. They would be called Pilgrims and pioneers, visionaries and
revolutionaries. In 1776, they would declare:
When in the course of human events . . . 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.
I, Liberty, had
been given a place of honor! Not only had I been recognized as being directly endowed by
the Creator, I at last belonged to man. And Man belonged to me. Oh America, how I loved
thee then!
There would be a
great war for Independence. Though my fate was at the crux of the battle, I could but
stand immobile as a trophy on the mantelpiece. Patrick Henry would proclaim: “ . . . Give me Liberty or give me death.” Men and
women, heroes all, would indeed sacrifice and die for me. Some say I was the source of
their inspiration and strength. I do not know. Could my promise be so great that I should
merit such high resolve?
When the war was
over and the new national was born I was given more fame and high praises. The Preamble to
your new Constitution would allude to the fact I had blessings to give. “ . . . (T)he
blessings of Liberty . . . “. It said. Imagine that. I, Liberty, had been placed in a
realm normally reserved for the Deity. I would have blushed with pride if I were able.
In the years
which followed the war, I would become your central theme. In his farewell address to the
Nation, President George Washington would have me so great a source of happiness that
people would find glory in recommending me to the applause, affection, and adoption of
every nation which did not know me. He would also express for himself and Congress: “
. . . a love of liberty with every ligament of the heart . . . “
Oh America, we
were ever so much in love! Together we would banish our false god of man on earth –
no imperial king, no lord high politburo, master be damned – slavery be gone.
Together we created an atmosphere of freedom and the free spirit.
American would
enter the era of the rugged individualist. It was an era of self-responsibility,
self-reliance and self-esteem. As if he knew how all of this fit into a common mold,
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker would say of America:
The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence.
There was in
fact much individuality but of a very special kind because it was also an era of great
co-operation. Together, people would build farmhouses, towns, cities, railroads and
factories. Oh no, the time was not without its selfish or evil people; for in an imperfect
world of imperfect people they would (and probably always will be) among us. But how
America would prosper during our great romance! Can you imagine how I felt at the time?
Me, Liberty, on a high throne while all around me people would overcome hardship, diminish
poverty, find prosperity and bring forth the highest standard of living ever achieved by
anyone, anywhere on the face of the earth.
To be sure,
material well being is to be appreciated but was that the source of America’s
greatness? I think not, nor did your twenty-eighth president, Woodrow Wilson, who said:
America is not a mere body of traders. Our greatness – built upon freedom – is moral not material. We have a great ardor for gain but we have a deep passion for the rights of man.
See. There we
are together again. President Wilson didn’t mention my name – he used the name
of my counterpart, Freedom – but he did talk about the rights of man and that
includes me. I belong to you. Thomas Jefferson, the man who brought us together in the
Declaration of Dependence, also reminded us: “The god who gave us life, gave us
liberty at the same time.”
I know not
whether I am heaven sent or earthly bound. I only know I am pleased to be in the hearts of
men. If I am the source of happiness, inspiration and strength, then I give thanks to the
Lord. If I have blessings to give, then I bring them to you as His messenger. For I,
Liberty, am just a spirit; but as a spirit given life in America, I beg you let me once
again ride the high crest of our mutual love and admiration. As you feel me in your
hearts, please also know me in your minds and remember me in your actions. Together we can
build a better world.
Leonard Franckowiak