I grew up around my grandmother and her sisters and brothers. We didn’t have much in
way of outside influences or ‘store-bought’ entertainment and so Sunday afternoon story telling was always something I looked forward to. My elders were quite versed in history and were intelligent enough to question what was recorded as history. They often times weaved quotes from famous people in to their own life’s history as a means to emphasize feel of day, so-to-speak. I learned so much as a child, just by sitting at feet of a person that had experienced a full life.
I recently asked our readers to submit a short description of what freedom means to you. Every submission to this request came in from a senior. For those of you who look at our elderly as being uninformed or you lose your patience because they move or talk slower than you’d like, I invite you to read what these seniors have submitted and plan to be amazed. Freedom, in eyes of seniors responding to this question, includes freedom of all persons, not just personal freedom. They express so well that what they wish for themselves, they wish for you and your children.
Submitted by Fran of AZ Freedom for all requires that each person demanding freedoms will also accept responsibility of attaining that freedom. Please don’t ask an authority (government, church etc.) to take away that responsibility from you. Think. Every time we make a new law to ‘protect’ ourselves, we give this authority over to politicians and lawmakers
Submitted by Elizabeth of MI Freedom to me is having right to choose a doctor that also has freedom to choose my treatment – without being influenced by insurance and drug companies. Where do we go for that?
Submitted by Gloria Anne from OH Today's conservatives define patriotism as being nothing short of all out, unquestioned loyalty to G. W. Bush, regardless of how improper or unconstitutional his proposals and policies might be. I sense a loss of freedom, I am afraid of Homeland Security authorities. I was around during reign of McCarthy and Hoover. Does anyone else remember this?
Submitted by Clarence of ID President Theodore Roosevelt said, "Patriotism means to stand by country. It does not mean to stand by president or any other public official, save exactly to degree in which he himself stands by country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell truth, whether about president or anyone else." Unpatriotic for a government official to lie? Well, we impeached one president because he lied about his sex life and one because he lied about spying on his competitors. How many times do we accept lies now as ‘matter of fact’, course of ‘doing business’? I worry about apathy these days, and I understand it. They have us so busy just trying to put food on table few people lift their heads up and realize what is happening all around them.
Submitted by Lydia from MI I now quote Mr. Jefferson: 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 Pursuit of Happiness…. These truths were self-evident (Among moral, reasonable men they could not be argued against). The emphasis on next phrase is as much on word “created” as it is on “equal”. We each have varying talents, physical characteristics, amounts of wealth, etc. But we all are born “equal” before Creator. The current modern day concept of economic equality is more akin to Karl Marx than to Declaration. Lastly, it is not Happiness, but Pursuit thereof to which we have a right.
Submitted by Mary of PA President Ronald Reagan said, "Government is not solution to problem; government is problem."
