The Fate of Freedom

by Robert J. Romano

December 22nd, 2004

When in the course of human events, it was determined by men far wiser than we that in order to separate from a tyrannical monarchy, to sever those bonds which had held the American colonies to Great Britain, that for the reasons of the American Revolution to be deemed acceptable by future generations, that it was necessary for those reasons to be articulated for posterity.  And hence, the founding document of our great nation, the Declaration of Independence, was drafted and then signed on July 4th, 1776.  Based upon a belief in self-evident truths, Nature's God, and the Laws of Nature, the Declaration clearly and distinctly articulated that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..." This was certainly not set forth for reasons light and transient, indeed, it was implemented for the sake of the freedom of a people who had determined that a tyranny existed which could not be tolerated, and that it was the right and wise choice to order it abolished.  The colonies agreed to take up arms in the defense of freedom and independence, and they declared war upon the hegemon.  In order for their rights to be secured, a new government had to be established, and in order for independence to be established, security had to be put in place and the war had to be waged.  The Revolution was necessary, and they gathered their forces together, fought admirably and honorably, and won their freedom.

        The natural rights philosophy that our nation was founded upon is of the utmost importance at this critical juncture in human history, because today it is under assault from the forces of evil.  Never safe for posterity, freedom often demands that sacrifices be made in its defense, and today is no different as we take up arms in the war on terrorism and tyranny.  This is not singularly a war that is being fought upon the battlefield, as it is also being fought by our intelligence agencies, our law enforcement agencies, our diplomatic missions, and perhaps most importantly, it is a war that is being fought in the hearts and minds of humanity.  Do we still hold the truth of natural rights to be self-evident?

        One strain of conventional wisdom holds that it is not our responsibility to spread freedom and democracy globally, that certain peoples cannot ever live in freedom due to their cultures and religions, and that we are not the world's policemen.  Such isolationist tendencies have been common throughout America's history, and they are no less dangerous today.  Such inclinations have in the past led to the stalemate in Europe during World War I, allowed fascism and Nazism to take hold in Italy and Germany during the run up to World War II, and let Hitler conquer mainland Europe without America so much as declaring war on the tyrant.  It was not until America was attacked by Germany's ally, Japan, that she took bold, decisive, and courageous action to defeat the Axis Powers.  Afterward, such inclinations were decisive in shaping opposition to the Cold War, as the isolationists then attached themselves to a policy of appeasement against the Soviet juggernaut, and made the mistake of pride to hold America blameworthy for the realities posed by that war.  It shaped the opposition to all actions taken against the communists globally, including the Korean and Vietnam Wars, but also actions taken later on by the great President Reagan to defeat the Soviet Union.  None of these conflicts would have ever been won had the naysayers been listened to, and freedom would have suffered greatly, if not for the leadership provided by the Presidents of those eras, and most especially if not for the bravery of the armed forces who paid the ultimate price to defend freedom.

        The defeatists are no less mobilized today, and their target is the morale of the American people.  These isolationists and the terrorists share a common goal: the withdrawal of America from the world's stage as the catalyst of freedom in lands that have not known it.  Our belief that freedom is God's gift to humanity is paramount, and our actions abroad over the course of history have been a direct result of it.  The price of our failure to succeed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the war on terrorism and tyranny is catastrophic.  Abroad, the terrorists will inevitably acquire weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, which they will use to murder on a scale never seen before.  Domestically, the only way we shall fail is if the defeatists are able to persuade the American people that it is acceptable for some peoples to be free, and for others to not.  Their greatest tactic to achieve that end is to discredit the natural rights philosophy that our nation was founded upon.  If they succeed, the cost will be apocalyptic.  If the American people are persuaded that foreign wars in the defense of freedom are not worth the cost of casualties, and furthermore that only certain peoples can conceivably live in freedom because of their superiority, our form of government as we know it will have been effectively corrupted and most certainly abolished.  The march of freedom will have been turned back, and inevitably, our ability to defend ourselves from the forces of evil will have been dulled.  For, if rights are not natural, if all people do not have the same rights under natural law, the very foundation of our republic will dissolve.

        The stakes could not be higher, for these reasons, it is incumbent upon the American people to once again rally to the cause of freedom, and to honor the mission of spreading democracy around the world.  The will and resolve of the people to win this war must be bolstered, and it is imperative that our leadership in Washington make the resolution to unite our people.  Nothing has ever been more important in recent history, and no longer lasting legacy could be left than to have honored the ideals upon which our nation was founded by succeeding in our mission.   The extremist terrorists are trying to shake our will, the defeatists are playing along in concert with their common goal, and based on the criticisms of our efforts from both the left and right, it's working, because our will as a people is being shaken.  Our leadership must believe that we've got the right mission.  From here on in, our ultimate success in the war on terrorism is going to depend upon our will and resolve to see through the mission of transforming societies that have suffered under tyranny into free societies. If the American people do not support the effort, then hope may be broken.  This author had hoped that the President's re-election with a majority of the popular vote had proven that a majority of the American people believed in the course we are on: that freedom can transform societies.  There are even deeper implications which are troublesome if freedom fails abroad.  If natural rights are discredited, then so too will the philosophy that our nation was founded upon. We must not fail, for our very freedom depends on it.  You either believe in natural rights or you do not.  

        The fate of freedom is in your hands.