It is finally happening! After years of discussion, votes and political wrangling, to include replacing the Prime Minister, the nation of England is breaking away from the European Union and reclaiming its national sovereignty. Much remains to be seen about how exactly this will impact both the citizens of Great Britain and Europe and while many applaud this move there are many, as one might imagine, who do not. There are still many things about this move that are unclear, but one thing is abundantly clear: personal freedom, the right of self-government and national sovereignty will, collectively, be a cause that individuals are compelled to pursue.
When we finally understand the innate, natural desire of humans to be free, so much of what we see happening in the world begins to make sense.
Samuel Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, once said: “The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule.”
This is not to say that people want anarchy, but that they want the opportunity to elect a government that represents them and protects the right of self-government. It is the desire to participate in a government that understands its role of protecting the right of the individual to pursue his own path and live out the most basic of human rights. So much of the world is in a state of upheaval, but it makes sense when viewed through the lens of liberty.
Brexit is the desire of the people of the United Kingdom to determine for themselves, apart from the influence and mandates of other nations, how they will politically, economically, and socially move forward.
The Iranian protest against an overbearing regime is the call for greater transparency in the government. This is not even a move to replace the government, but rather to demand that those who rule do so with the interests of the citizen in mind.
The citizens of Hong Kong taking to the streets against the Chinese government, an oppressive Communist dictatorship, is the demand for human rights and self-determination. It is a call for a representative government that serves the people instead of the other way around.
Here in the United States, there are many who do not understand how our President has built the devoted following of everyday Americans who are willing to sleep on the sidewalk the day before a rally just so that they can catch a glimpse of him. Opinion aside, he has developed this following by communicating that he is a champion for the rights of everyday Americans and sees his role as a servant to the governed. This is an expression of the desire to be heard and represented.
Many other examples could be given but the point of each remains the same-standing up for, voting for, and in many cases dying for liberty and the right of self-determination is not political or cultural, it is the natural expression of the human heart. The desire to be free, to pursue the liberties naturally derived by all men and women, cannot be taken away. When both the government and those who give them the privilege of governing finally understand this basic truth there will be harmony because there will be liberty!
Originally Published February 2020
Photo by Ming Jun Tan on Unsplash