As daily threats to our liberties fill the news headlines, it is time to ask “Where are our Heroes of Liberty?”, and the more basic question “What is liberty”?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines liberty as:
The power to do as one pleases; freedom from physical restraint; freedom from arbitrary or despotic control; the power of choice.
Britannica defines liberty as:
A state of freedom, especially as opposed to political subjection, imprisonment, or slavery.
In light of the above definitions, I believe every American would agree that a multitude of liberties have been under assault this past year from mandated lockdowns on homes and businesses, mandated masking, church shutdowns, prohibited freedom of assembly, and censorship of speech.
A look back at history shows the wisdom of two Heroes of Liberty well over 200 years ago, who devoted themselves to the protection of freedom. They are remembered in accurate history textbooks for their boldness in standing for the courage of their convictions in devoting their time, money, comfort, and reputations for the greater good.
Our first historic Hero of Liberty, Sir Edmund Burke, is best known for his famous quote:
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
This call to action was from an 18th century Irish statesman, economist, philosopher, and writer who opposed slavery and supported the American Revolution. He espoused that personal virtue is the underpinning of society and government. He committed his life to public service in a variety of government positions, including Parliament, from 1783 – 1794. Sir Edmund Burke understood that good government depends on good people being engaged in government.
We are all familiar with the other historic American Hero of Liberty, Thomas Jefferson. He is best known as one of the Founding Fathers of our country, 3rd U.S. President, and Vice-President to the 2nd U.S. President, John Adams. He is famously remembered as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was a strong proponent of states’ rights and an adamant opponent of the centralization of governmental powers. He was, also, a champion of both individual and religious liberties.
A fact about Thomas Jefferson that is perhaps less known is his intent around the concept of “separation of church and state” that has been widely misinterpreted. On January 1, 1802, the newly elected President Jefferson responded in a private letter to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut who had expressed concern to him that the Free Exercise Clause in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution inferred that religious freedom was not an “inalienable right”, but rather bestowed on the church by whim of the government.
The newly elected President Jefferson’s written reply said:
….. the whole American people which declared that their legislation should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’ thus building a wall of separation of church and state.
“Simply, the “wall” of the Danbury letter was not to limit religious activities in public, rather they were to limit the power of the government to prohibit or interfere with those expressions.” Wallbuilders.com
Therefore, the intent of the First Amendment “free exercise clause’ was to safeguard the liberty of public religious expression from the type of government overreach that the Founding Fathers were familiar with in Britain.
The word liberty is not a concept we hear about now in the mainstream media. The opposite of liberty is tyranny, totalitarian group think, censorship, forced compliance, and public vilification of classes of people.
Where are our Heroes of Liberty today that will devote their time and energy for our common good?
We can be encouraged that many local and state leaders are stepping in to claim the Constitutional authority of both individual and states’ rights that Thomas Jefferson fought hard to establish and protect.
In Montana, we are privileged to have many Heroes of Liberty being pro-active in protecting our Constitutional freedoms currently under assault. The Montana Legislative Session that just ended was filled with many hallmark victories for lovers of liberty, thanks to the time and effort of many devoted legislators.
The Heroes of Liberty of this legislative session will be recognized and honored at the upcoming Lincoln Reagan & Trump Dinner on May 21, 2021 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Event Center. Dinner begins at 6:00 PM with doors opening at 5:00 PM for cocktails. We are honored to have U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale as the keynote speaker. Dinner is being catered by Montana Senate President Mark Blasdel and his family owned business, Vista Linda, featuring the favorite foods of the 3 presidents after whom the event is named.
Come enjoy dinner, cocktails, music and a silent auction at this fundraising event. For more details see the website Flatheadrepublicans.com; or contact Rudy Koester at 406.250.2601 or [email protected]
Come join us in honoring our own Montana Heroes of Liberty. This is an event you will not want to miss!