Today, July 4th, is Independence Day in my country, the day we officially celebrate our freedom. But that’s not enough. Freedom must be celebrated, protected, and exercised every day. Why? Because:
Freedom is Necessary
“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” ~Kahlil Gibran
“I am no bird; no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” ~Charlotte Brontë
“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” ~Ralph Ellison
Freedom is Responsibility
“Those who will not reason are bigots, those who cannot are fools, and those who dare not are slaves.” ~George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron)
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” ~Coco Chanel
“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” ~Sigmund Freud
Freedom isn’t Free
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~Benjamin Franklin
“If you want total security, go to prison. There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking is freedom.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” ~William Faulkner
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” ~Ronald Reagan
Unshared Freedom is Tyranny
“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” ~Noam Chomsky
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.” ~C. S. Lewis
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” ~Nelson Mandela
My Freedom Will Never be Complete Until All are Completely Free
“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else.” ~Toni Morrison
“A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it’s lowest ones.” ~Nelson Mandela
“You were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.” ~Galatians 5:13
Beautiful Mitch. Happy 4th! 🥳🎆4️⃣🇺🇸🎉
You too, Cindy!
Great post!
Happy Independence Day❣️
Likewise, Luisa!
🙏💕🙏
I fear we have forgotten the responsibility part of freedom. Yet, today I will celebrate the privilege of being a citizen of this great nation.
Amen to that, my friend.
Great quotes, Mitch. Eisenhower, C. S. Lewis, and of course, Galatians 5:13 are especially poignant. Happy Fourth! 🙂
You too, Nancy!
Happy Independence Day! …May God Bless America 🙏❤️🤍💙
Thanks, and likewise, Lisa!
Happy 4th, Mitch! We did it on the first! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Thank you, Gail, and a Happy (belated) Canada Day to you!
Mitch—thank you for this wonderful post of truth! Excellent quotes and words, dear friend! Happy Independence Day!
Likewise, dear friend!
Thank you!😊
What a beautiful powerful reminder. Happy 4th Mitch! ✨✨✨
Thank you, YBP!
❤️❤️❤️
Oh, Coco Chanel! Thinking out loud is bold indeed—even when you pause before speaking—and especially if you speak first. That gal had girl power!!
She got her start trimming and reselling dime store hats, and built an empire from there.
Profound and very thought-provoking quotes, Mitch. I could not stop nodding reading them.
Love this, Mitch! Happy Fourth of July!
Thanks, Denise. You too!
Great post, Mitch. Happy 4th of July! 🎉
Thanks, you too, Iman!
I’m forwarding four of today’s quotes so I can’t thank you for them online without sounding like a broken record! I’ll thank you here this time. Good finding, brother!
Thanks and blessings, sister!
🙏
I had to laugh at the C.S. Lewis quote about busy bodies. However, I love this quote — “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it’s lowest ones.” ~Nelson Mandela
America should live by this. People should live by this.
Amen, Janet.
Happy 4th, Mitch! 🙂
You too, T!
Wonderful Post .. Happy 4th of July ❤️🤍💙
Thanks, Willie. You too!
galatians 5:11 hide the word in the fruit of the spirit
There are some powerful quotes in your post today, but the one that struck me was “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” ~Ronald Reagan From my side of the border, it seems to me that unless the correct decision is made in November, yours may be the generation that sees the end of freedom.
Praying that’s not the case, Susanne.
Some great quotes, Mitch. Some to really think about the way out world seems to be going right now. I hope you had a wonderful day.
We did, Carla, and likewise I hope.
Knocked it out of the ballpark, Mitch. Thanks!
Anne A.
Why, thank you, Annie!
Great writing
Pingback: Windows Are Never “Just Windows” - Mitch Teemley