Thoughts on Freedom
Professional speaker and trainer, Beth Terry wrote a wonderful piece about freedom, responsibility, and the USA. The message is powerful, and with Beth’s permission, I’ve reposted it here for your benefit.
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“I’m concerned for us.
I watched the amazing Macy’s 4th of July in NYC last night, and once again, got tears as they played the old favorites over the booming and exploding fireworks. I turned to a friend and said, “This exuberant display of unabashed love for the USA is one of the things I would miss if we didn’t make it as a country.” He scoffed and said I was crazy. That would never happen.
I don’t know anymore if that is true. Some citizen said that about the Roman empire thousands of years ago. Germans said Hitler could never happen in their beloved homeland. Someone in the USSR declared at some point that it would never fall. Yet, here we are. “The sun never sets on the British Empire” was a familiar slogan during their imperialist years. It sets now.
I’m not being morbid – just practical. As in any relationship, ignoring the situation does not make it go away. Once we take our situation, our country, our beloved for granted, the relationship is in peril. We can’t be resilient unless we pay attention and work at being resilient.
With wars becoming a daily staple, we have let our warriors become second page news to celebrity deaths. Yes, on Memorial Day and 4th of July –we parade out the songs, and photos, and memories. Yet those warriors are not the only ones responsible for keeping us free. Our first responders and our warriors certainly have that as their chosen duty and we bless them for their dedication. But we can’t just leave it to them. Yes, by all means, thank every soldier you see. Buy them a drink on the airplane, a cup of coffee or lunch when you see them at the mall. Send them a note, do whatever works for you.
More than that, BE THE PERSON who deserves the freedom our warriors have fought for that we take so often for granted. Pay attention to our Politicians and their shenanigans. I don’t care what side of the aisle you are on – they are CAREER politicians, and none of them walk on water. Their clay feet may walk us into an irrevocable disaster if we don’t pay attention. Hold them to their word. Question every bill they permit to make it to the floor. Read the Congressional Record once in awhile. Go read Factcheck.org and Snopes.com. Do more than read the headlines. Do more than listen to commentators – all of whom have their own agenda; all of whom have advertisers to appease and special interests that support them.
Have an informed opinion – even if you disagree with your friends and family. Read and make up your own mind. That’s the beauty of the 1st amendment. You have a right in the United States to have your OWN mind and speak it.
I am concerned. In the past two decades I have watched us deteriorate into extreme partisan camps. Normal and civil conversations are rare. If one says they think we really need to make sure that single mothers who have been abandoned by their husbands need healthcare, that person is potentially treated to a barrage of expletives, name calling, and derision. Likewise if someone says the 2nd Amendment is there to protect us from tyrannical governments. THEY are then subjected to name calling, derision, and expletives.
If we can’t have civil conversations, we can’t learn the reasoning and rationale behind the other’s thoughts. We won’t, as I said in my last blog post, “Entertain the possibility that we may be mistaken.” It’s a dangerous road when the bulk of our information comes only from sources that are in 100% agreement with ours. No one is infallible. All our societal woes are complex. There are too many moving parts to assume one solution will fit all, or that any of us has the answer. To verbally abuse someone with the opposite point of view shuts out those possibilities for fair and balanced solutions that will move our country forward. It’s through intelligent discourse that we uncover creative solutions.
This isn’t just a nice notion. It’s our patriotic duty. Questioning our leaders is our birthright ~ one that is not given freely in most other countries. When we focus our derision and scorn on those who disagree, we are using our energy in the wrong direction. Listen to the other side. Pay attention to the Politicians. READ. Ask why someone else may have that fear or concern about this particular bill or this particular representative.
We are the proverbial “frog in the boiling water.” We sit complacently, counting our cars, our money, our debt, our little personal problems, while the heat is slowly turned up. If you love your life; if you love this country; if you love what this country can represent: BE THAT PERSON WHO DESERVES IT.
I’d like to celebrate decades more watching those proud Flags wave on the 4th of July and every day.
God Bless America, Indeed.
And God Bless you,
Beth”
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A thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement, Bill Catlette is a seminar leader, keynote speaker, and executive coach. He helps individuals and organizations improve business outcomes by having a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. For more information about Bill, his partner Richard Hadden, and their work, please visit their website at www.contentedcows.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ContentedCows
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