What symbol of freedom can we ALL embrace?
Dear friend,
These days as we Americans
move into 2025
I am thinking about freedom.
Who are we as Americans?
What is our relationship
with the world?
The horrendous murder of innocents
in Ukraine, the Middle East, Iran,
and right here in the US
has me asking:
What do all freedom lovers
who despise dictators and their cruel acts
hold in common?
What do we all believe in
and believe is worth fighting for
and building strongly
in the best way we can?
Is there a symbol of freedom
we can all identify with
and hold in our hearts?
Yankee patriot
Me, I’ve got red white and blue
running in my veins.
I identify with the American flag.
To me, it is the flag of our center.
The symbol of our unity.
The blue stripes are the blue states,
the red stripes are the red states,
and the stars
are all our everlovin’ American souls.
I am all in with our Pledge:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
But
But I have been thinking about Patrick Henry.
He stood up in Philadelphia in 1776
with our newborn flag
and declared:
Give me liberty or give me death!
Patrick Henry
was about as American as it gets.
But he didn’t say
Give me America or give me death.
He said Give me liberty.
What does this tell us?
It tells us
that our country’s slogan
isn’t America First.
It’s Freedom First.
Freedom for all
We who love freedom
want freedom for all.
We stand with Zalensky
even as our Congress seeks
to abandon him.
Our hearts are in our throats
not knowing if one day soon
will be his last.
Yet there he is
still standing tall in Kyiv!
God what courage.
With the beautiful yellow and blue
flag of Ukraine by his side,
Zelensky is declaring the same thing
Patrick Henry declared.
And all the brave Russians
who ever stood up against Putin
knowing the violence
that could be done to them
were holding their flag in their hearts,
and declaring Patrick Henry’s vow
with every step.
We see these generous souls
Freedom lovers
all over the world
are in awe
as we witness
the incredible courage
of our freedom fighters
and freedom builders.
We witness their deep faith
in their fellow man.
Their unshakeable belief
in the power of love
and truth.
We see beautiful people
in so many countries
standing up to dictators
and oppressors.
We are inspired.
And we are grateful.
We recognize deep in our souls
that these courageous individuals
are not standing up
only for their own country.
We know, we feel, we see
they are fighting
for the shared values of the civilized world.
The torch of freedom
When the Chinese students in Tienanmen Square
stood up to the Communist dictators in 1989
in those incredible days
before they were massacred
they didn’t hoist the flag
of their own, or any other country.
Instead, they erected a replica
of the Statue of Liberty.
They adopted it as their own.
And it was.
It was and is their own.
And it never left them.
Like them,
the Statue of Liberty
is immortal.
And universal.
It doesn’t belong only to America.
It belongs to the whole world.
One person
When we behold
the torch of freedom
what do we see?
We see one person
holding up the light.
Just one hand
reaching up
into the sky.
Reaching up
to shine the light of freedom
in dark times.
This is what
you and I
are called to do
in 2025.
Every one of us
who loves liberty
is called
to hold up
the torch.
We are called to be the light.
We are called to be
the burning light of freedom
keeping our Republic alive.
I’m with you.
The light that you are
is needed.
Where can you
shine today?
You may be
just a glowing spark
but you are precious.
Hi, Doc. I think the entirety of the quote from which Henry's words come is pretty powerful and worth repeating here:
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
That he didn't say "Give me America or give me death" is one of the most incisive and relevant political observations I've seen in quite some time. Props.
Beautiful way to start the new year, especially on the day that a new set of Representatives will be sworn in and, theoretically at least, organize itself to take its intended place as the driver of federal policy and, most importantly, budgeting. Members of that body would do well to read your letter and recall Henry's comments in full as they are presented here. Liberty, and the responsibility that goes with it to be accountable for the results of one's actions, is a frightening idea for a lot of people and Henry's alternative, at least equally so. I am hopeful that, through our hard work and with God's help we'll pass through this challenge and emerge both stronger and more committed to the value of freedom and responsibility in maintaining our civil society as a beacon of hope and aspiration for those here and elsewhere who don't yet enjoy the benefits of living a life of liberty but, if it works out otherwise, I'll go out knowing that I'm in very good company.