"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." -- John Adams
Liberty: freedom from arbitrary government or control; independence; freedom from control, interference, obligation, captivity.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from France in commemoration of their alliance during the American Revolution and the fight against Great Britain for American independence. Lady Liberty still stands tall on Ellis Island, greeting the millions of visitors who come to New York every year. Between the years of 1886 and 1924, it was dubbed “The Immigrants’ Statue”… one of the first tangible and visible markers of true freedom for the many millions of immigrants who gave up everything they had and traveled across treacherous seas to the United States in hopes of a fresh start, a new life.
The idea of liberty itself from The Declaration of Independence largely stemmed from breaking free of the oppression and stifling demands of King George III and his government. It meant no more living under stringent rules, under the watchful eye of the British Army at every turn, not knowing if they would pillage their town or take someone away for a suspected, oftentimes false, crime. The value of liberty in The Declaration paved the way for The Bill of Rights, which further protects the liberties we all have in America: the right to free speech and press, the right to religion, to bear arms, to a fair trial by jury, to be secure and searched only by warrant with probable cause, the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments, excessive fines or bail.
We are blessed to enjoy these liberties and more in America. Did you ever stop to consider that the debates we get into over who is the best between Apple vs. Android, Starbucks vs. Dunkin’ Donuts, BMW vs. Mercedes, Target vs. Walmar — the list goes on and on — isn’t even an option in many places? There simply is no choice. There is only what the government tells people to use, and oftentimes that means no laptops, no phones, no luxuries. Technology, if allowed, is extremely restricted and there is no choice to use Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
Free Enterprise
The liberty of entrepreneurship and free enterprise in America is unsurpassed by any other nation. If we aren’t happy with our current job, we have the liberty to leave that job, and go out and start our own business, or interview for a position with a new company, oftentimes even getting a letter of recommendation from the previous employer. Ours is an incredibly civilized and kind workforce. In North Korea, workers don’t get to choose their occupation, nor can they negotiate their pay, if the government even chooses to pay them for their labor. There are over 3 billion people worldwide who live on less than $2.50 per day, and have no option but to try to make a living on their own versus wage employment as the circumstances are so bad. There is no workplace compensation, there are no regulations, no lunch breaks, no standard work hours. We as Americans typically clock in from 9 to 5, and then it’s off to the gym, our kid’s basketball game, to grab dinner, to enjoy our evenings and our weekends. Those who are jobless in America are supported by the government with unemployment checks and food stamps. “Free time” to have hobbies is a foreign term to most of the world, but in America, the “hobby and crafting” industry rakes in over $30 billion a year!
Freedom of Religion
And what about American liberty in religion? If we attend a church and decide the music is too loud, or the preacher isn’t using enough Scripture quotes, we can pick up and go to another church. In countries like North Korea (are you getting the hint yet that North Korea is one of the worst countries in the world?), everyone is expected to worship their leader, Kim Il-Sung, and any other religion makes you an enemy of the state, leading to imprisonment, torture or death. Christians in North Korea meet secretly, risking their lives to do so; it is the most dangerous country in the world for believers.
The list goes on and on for the liberties we so value and enjoy in this country.
Another freedom we have is to choose what kind of coffee to drink. Here at Republican Coffee, we are thankful for the liberty to enjoy organic, fair trade, fresh-roasted beans from a roaster who knows the farmers and their families by name, and has visited their farms in Honduras. Buying our coffee offers these farmers just a little more liberty as they work hard to provide for their families. When you purchase from us, know you’re helping bring more freedom and better quality of life for these Honduran farmers, while also supporting your belief in the Republican party and the hope it can bring to America.
