" We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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."A conversation was about to ensue the other day at waka on liberty and justice. This came up because Malcolm P. offered a short test to indicate your political leanings. In the comments that followed it was decided that what we mean by liberty and justice would have to be defined. I've been thinking for these last 2 days about the topics and I've added the word "freedoms" to my musings.
The Declaration of Independence begins with the above preamble but does not mention justice or freedoms.
The Constitution preamble includes:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
So we have justice and we have liberty.
So, as I was wondering my yard, pulling a weed here and there, I stopped and thought about the pledge:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Okay, liberty and justice pop up again.
Would I need to go to the Bill of Rights for freedoms?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "
So justice means you will get your due when wronged? Does it mean that you will have a fair chance in the courts of law? Maybe I think more about these terms because my son is an attorney. We all know that your justice is only as good as the one representing you.
Without justice, will one lose their liberty? Is the court system in America about freedoms?
Our Supreme court seems to spend a good amount of time judging whether a person's rights have been violated. But where or when did the word "right" ever become synonymous with "freedom"?
Liberty and freedom can be synonyms, but not liberty and freedoms. Liberty is a state of being and so is freedom, but when you add the ignominious "s" to freedom it becomes nouns. Nouns almost too numerous to address.
Liberty to our forefathers undoubtedly meant the chance to be unshackled from the being told what to do by a king. A chance to decide which freedoms would be assured to individuals and an opportunity to redress those wanting to abridge the said freedoms. This would be justice, hopefully. I want tomorrow or maybe later tonight to go over in my mind, which means blog about, my thoughts on our freedoms as Americans.
later,
JeanieO
