The Cost of Freedom

Posted on July 3, 2023 by mitchteemley

Presentation1

It has a price.

Thought for the Week

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” ~Desmond Tutu

“None who have always been free can understand the terrible fascinating power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free.” ~Pearl S. Buck

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Free people, remember this maxim: we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost.” ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom.” ~Lady Bird Johnson

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” ~Abraham Lincoln

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” ~Peter Marshall

Tomorrow is Independence Day in America, but I will never stop at merely celebrating freedom. I will work to assure that all people have it, because…

My freedom will only be complete

When all are completely free

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About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
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39 Responses to The Cost of Freedom

  1. ajeanneinthekitchen says:
    July 3, 2023 at 11:41 am

    Reblogged this on A Jeanne in the Kitchen and commented:
    As you all know, I rarely reblog anything, but this one is one that HAS TO BE shared. Freedom isn’t free. And once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. We have to fight to keep it.

    Reply
  2. Liz Gauffreau says:
    July 3, 2023 at 11:47 am

    A very important and timely reminder not to take our freedoms for granted, include how freedom itself is defined.

    Reply
  4. beth says:
    July 3, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    Yes!

    Reply
  5. Jeff Cann says:
    July 3, 2023 at 12:08 pm

    America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. Dude was truly prescient.

    Reply
  6. Frank Richard Coats says:
    July 3, 2023 at 12:23 pm

    Excellent post and so right! We watched “Lincoln” last night, to remind us of the cost of freedom.

    Reply
  7. norman eric peterson says:
    July 3, 2023 at 12:46 pm

    Good timing Mitch: I was wondering about the syllogism using the premise of “completely”

    Reply

  9. Pingback: The Cost of Freedom | Thoughts Along the Way

  10. pkadams says:
    July 3, 2023 at 12:54 pm

    Don’t trade your freedom for security. Happy Independence Day!

    Reply
  11. Russell Brown says:
    July 3, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    AMEN! Thank you for this timely reminder, Mitch.
    As I read each of these quotes, it seems to me that – the Pearl S. Buck and MLK quotes aside – each can be used by either the political right or the political left to promote their cause(s). Freedom isn’t free!

    Reply
    • HAT says:
      July 3, 2023 at 2:01 pm

      Indeed – which brings us back to the whole question of what “freedom” means to the people using the word. [For instance, there’s this on “government of the people …” etc.] “All” takes a lot of cooperation.

      Reply
      • mitchteemley says:
        July 3, 2023 at 3:00 pm

        Good points, both of you. “Freedom” is an ideal, and there is always an element of subjectiveness to it.

        Reply
      • mitchteemley says:
        July 3, 2023 at 5:20 pm

        P.S. Heather, I’m no fan of gerrymandering. I think it’s more of a to-the-victor-go-the-spoils argument than one of freedom.

        Reply
        • HAT says:
          July 3, 2023 at 5:50 pm

          Yes … I was more thinking of RevRuss’s point, that “freedom” can be a “fighting word” (in the sense of a mobilizing word, a call to action) for people on all sides of a political issue. “Resisting tyranny” can look like … well, pick your example. And “extremism in defense of freedom is no vice” and all that. And hey, presto, partisanship and hanging on to political power at all costs, because we judge our political opponents to be … well, tyrants. There’s a good book, by Robert B. Talisse, Sustaining Democracy, that makes the point that democracy [“freedom,” we might say] calls on us to play fair with people even when we think their policies are disastrously wrong.

          Reply
      • mitchteemley says:
        July 3, 2023 at 6:19 pm

        I haven’t read the book, but certainly agree with that statement. It reminds me of Winston Churchill’s line, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried from time to time.”

        Reply
  12. Donald N. Norris says:
    July 3, 2023 at 1:35 pm

    Those are sure words of wisdom you collected. Thanx for sharing them.

    Reply

  13. Pingback: The Cost of Freedom – Uncoffined

  14. Antique Works says:
    July 3, 2023 at 7:19 pm

    Held under oppression for many years I can honestly say: I know just what freedom is and how great it felt to get away from those oppressors. And, yes there was a price however; that price was much better than being under severe oppression.Today, I am free in Jesus Christ. The quote that Martin Luther King, Jr. made hit the nail on the head for me.
    Happy Fourth of July Mitch!

    Reply
  15. Ana Daksina says:
    July 3, 2023 at 9:13 pm

    Gee, I love that bodhisattva kinda talk… 🤗✨

    Reply
  16. trE says:
    July 3, 2023 at 10:00 pm

    “I will work to assure that all people have it, because…
    My freedom will only be complete
    When all are completely free.”

    🙏🏾💙

    Reply
  17. Ranjana says:
    July 3, 2023 at 11:54 pm

    Happy American Independence Day 🎆

    Reply
  18. Janet Oldfield says:
    July 4, 2023 at 1:05 am

    Very well thought out ideas Mitch! Thanks for sharing your intelligent comments! Your last two sentences are very important! -Janet

    Reply
  19. musingsofmanettekay says:
    July 4, 2023 at 9:13 am

    A marvelous collection of wise tidbits. True freedom does have a cost, it cost Jesus Christ His life so that humanity has the freedom to choose life.

    Reply
  20. Mike and Kellye Hefner says:
    July 4, 2023 at 9:40 am

    Beautiful post, Mitch! Happy 4th of July.

    Reply
  21. The Mind Report says:
    July 4, 2023 at 11:20 am

    Freedom is like happiness in a sense, both must be fought for, no?

    Reply
  22. Karen :) says:
    July 4, 2023 at 1:13 pm

    These are perfect thoughts for this day, this time. Thank you!

    Reply
  23. gpavants says:
    July 6, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    Hi Mitch,

    So true. It’s scary about Abraham’s Lincoln’s quote. It is sadly happening. Only Jesus can unify this nation.

    Thanks, Gary

    Reply

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