Thinking about Freedom

Every week my blog manager forwards reader comments to me. I read – and many times reread over and over – what the blog readers are thinking or reacting to what I write. I enjoy the feedback even when it occasionally and painfully hits close to home.



This week an “Anonymous” reader commented on my recent writings about freedom. And, those comments got me thinking about not just freedom, but our interconnectedness.


Ironically, and my ex would fall over to see me admit what I’m about to write, I’ve discovered through this experience, that we are all in this together. I use to ridicule then Senator Hillary Clinton for her book It Takes a Village to Raise a Child. I always thought my success, whether in school or relationships or work, was solely and directly due to my efforts. I bemoaned paying the way for others less ambitious than I. Oh, I did community work. It’s what we “successful people” did. Ultimately, I realized going through this that my logic was completely skewed. God has a way, His way of showing us how off kilter we are. Sometimes the way He shows us is unpleasant. But, if we pay attention, we learn exactly what He expects from His children.


Anonymous, I take issue with your posting for a number of reasons. Here goes. Freedom is derived from God. In one of the most powerful scenes in David McCullough’s incredible book 1776 he retells the story of a Presbyterian minister in New York City. Reverend Knox, on the eve of the British attack on Washington’s troops, uttered these powerful words from the pulpit: “God ordains that man live free”. So simple, yet so profound.


Freedom is God’s creation. It isn’t granted us by a benevolent government. It is from God and of God. That isn’t anarchy. God requires that we live under His rules and there are only two that really matter: “Love the Lord with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”. When you steal – like I did – you violate God’s law. And society has an absolute right to correct that ungodly behavior and help restore me to a position of “law abiding”. But, society does not have the right to break God’s law to punish me. That, Anonymous, is ungodly.


It is ironic that at the entrance to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, Poland the following sign appeared: “Work Makes You Free.” I would caution Anonymous to be careful when you conclude you’re on one side and the outcasts are on the “other” side, like the Jews in 1930’s Germany, or the Christians in China, or the black school children in Prince Edward County, Virginia in the late 50’s when the public schools were closed rather than integrate them.


As Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees when he disapproved of divorce and protected the adulterous woman, God’s law is significantly different from man’s law.


Some people in prison clearly are sociopaths. They are a danger to others. Their horrendous deeds call for separation. That does not give society the right to treat them ungodly. “Be patient; be kind; be forgiving.”


And that leads me back to my new thoughts on our interconnection and my disagreement with Anonymous. Prior to Anonymous telling me about the effort put forth to earn his/her degree and how prison education cheapened the value of that education, Anonymous stated “the other day I was teaching high school…” so Anonymous teaches school – public, I assume, which is supported by taxpayers, many of whom don’t have children in school but have to pay nonetheless. And Anonymous works a school year (what, possibly 200 days per year?) and is eligible for tenure – guaranteed employment – and has little responsibility when his/her students do poorly. See, Anonymous, I used to think like you and public school teachers could always rile me up. And Anonymous, you may work in a good school. A lot of the guys I’ve been in contact with went to lousy schools, with lousy teachers, in lousy communities.


Your education: no one pays the full fare. Even when you pay the tuition, that tuition has been subsidized by alumni giving, Federal aid and state taxpayers (if you go to a state school). This myth that we “make it on our own” is just that, a myth.


While you were in college some of the dregs in here were filling potholes in your town and picking up your trash. A good number of these “criminals” were overseas fighting while you were “exploring” your major. One thing I didn’t know until I came in here was the large number of vets locked up, guys who fought in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, both Iraq Wars and Afghanistan.


Your reference to a “free education” in prison is off base. First, the number one factor in keeping a felon from recommitting is – a college degree. You want to pay $25,000 to keep a guy locked up or $3,000 to enroll him in college?


Instead, let’s follow your lead, Anonymous, and gut prison programs. Why stop there. Handicapped kids? Screw ’em, why should I pay. It’s the parent’s job to take care of them. Public schools? Don’t need ‘em. Most of the teachers I knew weren’t qualified anyways. Let everyone home school.


I could go on and on but I won’t. I think you get my point. We all get something from someone else’s hard work, money or grace. We all need to give a helping hand from time to time to a brother or sister in need, even when that brother or sister did something horrendous.


“No man is an island unto himself”. That’s what justice is about. That’s what mercy is about. That’s what freedom is about. That’s what God is talking about.