“Freedom is only one generation away from defeat,” Reagan said. Like all good things, freedom must be consciously worked for, maintained, and protected. History has taught us repeatedly that this rare commodity cannot be trusted to the military, to the experts, or to the government. It is, in fact, the role of a citizen, as Benjamin Franklin so eloquently expressed when he said the United States was “a republic—if you can keep it.”
It has been sad to watch the dependence on government as well as activist organizations to protect our liberties. The reactionary nature of activism—especially on the right—is especially frustrating, because it is fostering the belief and expectation that freedom is taken care of by organizations, and the citizen’s role is merely to fund them.
This is not to discredit the work that organizations dedicated to the fight for freedom can and have done, but merely to point out that their existence has allowed citizens to feel as though they may become complacent without consequences. The fact is, citizens will always be entirely necessary to the protection of freedom.
During the American revolution, colonial governments were being shut down by King George III; it was citizens who organized committees, wrote the Declaration of Independence, boycotted British goods, and organized and fought in the colonial army. Citizens put together the Constitutional Convention, wrote and discussed the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, and ultimately ratified the Constitution.
As lawmakers argued over the Missouri Compromise and the Fugitive Slave Act, it was a citizen who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was citizens who organized the underground railroad, helping thousands of slaves escape first to the north and then to Canada.
Freedom is the citizen’s stewardship.
But how is that stewardship to be fulfilled?
Raising The Next Generation
“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world,” William Ross Wallace wrote. Appreciation of the past and the present are instilled at home, around the dinner table. So is the moral code.
Building Relationships
As division continues to grow and relationships fray, it’s hard to remember that your neighbors are still people. But building relationships with the people down the street, across town, and on the other side of the aisle can make all the difference. Especially as more local issues tend to be more nuanced and more relational, knowing the people in your community is super important.
Monitoring The Government
The citizen is the guardian of their own freedom. While the U.S. government was organized with the intent to maintain our rights and liberties, the reality is that power will centralize and expand, and unchecked power breeds corruption. Transparency and oversight are crucial for maintaining freedom, and that is the citizen’s prerogative.
Getting Involved
But just participating in government isn’t enough. Government is only one of many sectors of society, one of many places where willing hands and kind hearts are needed. What causes do you feel called to? Where does your local community—your city, your neighborhood, your street—need your help? Who does your heart break for, where is God leading you, what problems keep you up at night? There are so many ways to get involved and make the world a better and more free place without government intervention.
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As a citizen, you have so much influence! The future of our republic lies in your hands—as it should. We are a government of, by, and for the people. We must not think freedom is a battle to be won or lost by the results of any election. It is won or lost in our hearts.
