What is freedom? Is it the right to say and do as we please with no regard for the consequences of our words or deeds? Is freedom a right or responsibility we are born with? Is freedom just a word we utter with no care or concern about what it means or why we are free to speak and write this word?

In many past and current societies, to think or write these thoughts about freedom meant or means death, imprisonment or banishment. From Uncle Tom’s Cabin to The Gulag Archipelago, we learn of man’s inhumanity to man, enslavement of both the mind and the body and the hopelessness such existence bred. Yet the authors of these books gave readers of their respective era’s beacons of light to freedom.

Those who seek to suppress freedom in their societies often go to extreme lengths to do so; during the height of the Stalinist regime in Russia, people were even convicted for the thoughts in their minds yet they had not penned or uttered any of those thoughts. Today misguided, malcontents cry “Jihad”, preach the destruction of freedom, and seek to impose their concept of what society should be on others.

The terrorists of today bear no resemblance to the patriots of the American Revolution. Their goals are negative—destruction and oppression. They have no regard for human life. A free society in which both men and women are participants and considered equal is anathema to them. They are users and takers. Their followers are offered a place in heaven in return for the supreme sacrifice of their lives in behalf of the cause. These terrorists abandoned reason for emotion and have no regard for the impact of their dastardly deeds.

If we could meet and speak with these terrorists, what could we do to change their thinking and their destructive bent? We might ask them to discuss their anger and pain. We must seek out the cause(s) of their angst. We might ask them what their aspirations were prior to becoming a terrorist and what motivated them to become a terrorist. We need to understand why they became a terrorist and why they feel that they cannot change.

Our interchange with a terrorist is much like a negotiation, for we must be prepared to listen and to accept criticism, even if misguided. The process of changing a terrorist will be a slow one; years of indoctrination in hate and destruction will cause them to challenge, fear and mistrust our words or deeds. They must see concrete proof of what we say or show them before they will begin to question their beliefs. Some times a significant emotional event may serve as the catalyst for change. Some times a kind word or deed may allow us to open the door to communication and understanding.

In our country, we teach our young that the preservation of our freedom is every one’s responsibility. As young people we learned about our brave colonial ancestors who fought to be free from tyrannical rule of our former mother country. We witnessed first hand the inhumanity of man and the enslavement of others on our shores. Many of us did not willingly treat the members of our diverse culture, including the immigrants from Europe and Asia, with respect nor consider them our equal. We placed the true “Native Americans” in reservations and left them in squalor and discouraged their seeking the benefits of a free society. Yet, for all our mistakes, our nation is one of the few on this planet that offers men and women an opportunity to learn, achieve and be a part of the greatest melting pot known to humanity—America.

As we reflect on our past, we must never forget that freedom requires eternal vigilance. We must be willing to sacrifice to maintain our free society. Others on our planet envy and despise us; they would rather preach and promulgate hate, anger and violence. We must, however, not be afraid to lead by example, for no other nation on this planet ever rebuilt the enemies that it vanquished in battle and no other nation has ever taken the world stage to bring the power of technology and communication to the peoples of our planet. For the first time in the history of man, we can communicate instantly with people thousands of miles from us. We can share our cultures, histories, ideas, and aspirations with one another. No closed or dictatorial society ever achieved or ever will achieve what Americans have.

Freedom requires us to be responsible for our words and deeds and to respect the rights of others. In our modern world this is difficult to do, especially when those around us do not. Men and women both have traditional roles in a family and unique ones in the work place. Maintaining a balance is often difficult to do. But when all is said and done, the care and nurturing of our family unit remains our primary concern.

Let us give thanks to our ancestors and their courage, wisdom and inspiration, for they forged the greatest nation on this planet—The United States of America! Let us remember we have the right to worship God as we choose whether in a church, synagogue or mosque or our home. We have the right to think, create and inspire others to strive to do their best, for we live in a land that remains a beacon of hope and freedom for those oppressed in other lands and cultures. Let us never forget what it means to be an American and be free!

God Bless the 912 Project.

Written and Provided by: Robert H. Rusoff