Think individual freedom first
To the editor:
Each time we pledge allegiance to our flag, we state the final verse, “with liberty and justice for all.” Unfortunately, a growing majority of Americans really don’t mean it. Think of all the letters to the editor and the media seeking more laws and rules to further inhibit the individual liberties of our fellow citizens. They are written to restrict liberty and freedom of other citizens who have a different viewpoint.
The fact is that ALL rules and ALL laws inhibit to varying degrees the Free Will that each person is born with. It is also a fact that laws and rules are necessary for any society, including a free society to exist. As a father, teacher, coach, and leader, I found myself often decreeing and enforcing rules that were in fact a dictatorship and I was the dictator! So, this letter is not about rules or the need for some, it is more about the why and how we promulgate them and the thought and research behind them.
The patriots and service members we remember and honor each Memorial Day, gave the last full measure of their devotion to preserving freedom for all, not the individual viewpoint. They, like my generation, understood that, though I disagree with you, I will fight and die for you to have that freedom.
We have become a nation of too many laws. Our political, civil, religious, and social leaders should scrutinize their individual bureaucracies and make positive changes based on facts alone, not hearsay or the wishes of the many lobbyists who exist in all facets of life today.
We cannot hope for a “land of the free, home of the brave” so long as we pursue thoughts and actions that would restrict or decrease the American individual’s rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness! We all need to start thinking freedom first like Jefferson, Franklin, and the other 55 patriots who wrote our Constitution.
James F. Kaserman
Fort Myers