Okay...this is quite the bumper sticker! Who would have ever guessed that a bumper sticker could ever be so thought provoking? Here's my take on it:
If I were to ask someone what the opposite of "security" was they likely would answer "danger." However, I suspect Benjamin Franklin's answer would be very different. Given the fact that he once described "tranquility" as "temporary security," I believe that in the context of the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin would say that the opposite of security is personal responsibility. And under this description that bumper sticker certainly rings true.
I believe that the founding fathers would say that Americans today are slaves. Wealthy slaves, but slaves nonetheless. We have been taught that in order to gain security we must surrender some of our freedom to the government. That might be true but what we have given right along with certain of our freedoms is far dearer than any amount of freedom could ever offer. We, in the process of trying to attain security, have given up what made America great -- the SPIRIT of liberty. And here is where the danger lies, for in the words of Sam Adams, "When the spirit of liberty, which now animates our hearts and gives success to our arms, is extinct, our numbers will accelerate our ruin and render us easier victims to tyranny."
We no longer seem to value our freedom--our liberty. Americans of old used to say: "Give me liberty or give me death," while we today value a government-guarantee above all else. I know this is incredibly dejected but lets face it, we don't really want liberty anyway, because with liberty comes personal responsibility. And personal responsibility never comes without risk and uncertainty. Better to be pampered slaves.
Okay...this is quite the bumper sticker! Who would have ever guessed that a bumper sticker could ever be so thought provoking? Here's my take on it:
ReplyDeleteIf I were to ask someone what the opposite of "security" was they likely would answer "danger." However, I suspect Benjamin Franklin's answer would be very different. Given the fact that he once described "tranquility" as "temporary security," I believe that in the context of the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin would say that the opposite of security is personal responsibility. And under this description that bumper sticker certainly rings true.
I believe that the founding fathers would say that Americans today are slaves. Wealthy slaves, but slaves nonetheless. We have been taught that in order to gain security we must surrender some of our freedom to the government. That might be true but what we have given right along with certain of our freedoms is far dearer than any amount of freedom could ever offer. We, in the process of trying to attain security, have given up what made America great -- the SPIRIT of liberty. And here is where the danger lies, for in the words of Sam Adams, "When the spirit of liberty, which now animates our hearts and gives success to our arms, is extinct, our numbers will accelerate our ruin and render us easier victims to tyranny."
We no longer seem to value our freedom--our liberty. Americans of old used to say: "Give me liberty or give me death," while we today value a government-guarantee above all else. I know this is incredibly dejected but lets face it, we don't really want liberty anyway, because with liberty comes personal responsibility. And personal responsibility never comes without risk and uncertainty. Better to be pampered slaves.
Cheers. GL