OPINION

The Price of Liberty

Bill Tatro
Bill Tatro  |  Jul 04, 2014
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

James Madison, 4th President of the United States once said “A means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home”.

Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States said “I think it’s important to understand that you can’t have 100% security and then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience. We’re going to have to make some choices as a society”.

Two differing opinions about the price of security and liberty. The 44th believes the Constitution was for another time and The Declaration of Independence and those so called “inalienable rights” reserved for a select few.

Troops stationed in front of one’s home, eavesdropping on private conversations, taxing for the benefit of a few (sound familiar) created such an environment that men such as Madison were willing to sacrifice their wealth, reputation, prestige, family and even life for a liberty that was “endowed by their Creator”.

The Founding Fathers knew only the security permitted by King George but were willing to make a “Declaration” for something different.

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On this 4th of July it is not necessary to wonder how the Founding Fathers, including Hamilton, would have felt about the continuing decline of the liberty, that they so gallantly fought for, their words ring out loud and clear even today.

Many will take varying positions but most will couch them behind an Obamaesque pose of the trade off of liberty for security. They will say that the Founding Fathers would agree given the contemporary circumstances. After all, isn’t harassment at an airport justifiable in the face of terrorism.

However they, including the 44th, would be wrong! There was no justification for the sacrifice of liberty in 1776 nor is there any justification for that same sacrifice today.

Ben Franklin cries out 200 years later on this July 4th, 2014 and speaks for all the Founding Fathers and freedom loving Americans everywhere when he said

“FREEDOM IS NOT A GIFT BESTOWED UPON US BY OTHER MEN, BUT A RIGHT THAT BELONGS TO US BY THE LAWS OF GOD AND NATURE”

“THEY WHO WOULD GIVE UP AN ESSENTIAL LIBERTY FOR TEMPORARY SECURITY DESERVE NEITHER LIBERTY NOR SECURITY”.