In the spring of 2017, my brother and I visited our Grandmother in Alaska. It was the first time I had been to Alaska since 1970. I wasn't sure what I'd find or how I would feel about it, but I was really happy to go and spend time with our Grandmother. We had a great trip.
Today is July 4, 2026, 250 years since the notated signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a day that not only altered the history of this country, but also had a far-reaching effect on countries all over the world. However, the Declaration of Independence was only the document explaining why the colonies wanted independence from the British Crown; it says nothing about how one should build a government to work for the newly established country. In essence, they declared independence but had no government to replace it. The war had to be won before any of that work could get done.
What does my bringing up Alaska have to do with Independence Day?
Well, one thing that I felt on that trip was just how 'free' Alaska is to live in. If you live outside of the city limits, you can pretty much build any house you want and live how you want. There are few regulations. Alaskans are very staunch in their defense of this feeling of unregulated freedom. Alaska has many problems, and for sure the lack of regulations makes it possible for people to be careless in the care of their properties and endanger their own lives because there are no building codes to abide by outside of the city limits. But this sense of freedom is very palpable there, and it reminded me of the way we should all feel within the United States today.
I think the definition of government should be geared towards lifting society so that it feels free and unencumbered by the government. But what does that mean?
There is a principle behind the concept of "Freedom" that overrides all considerations of the word, and that is a shared responsibility to support the freedom of others as much as we demand it for ourselves. The guardrails for that have to be a government that presides over these freedoms to ensure that some of the people won't take advantage of others in the practice of expanding their influence in the country. One person's freedom ends where another person's freedom begins. You can't be allowed to just do whatever you want when it encroaches on the freedoms of others. That is the basic tenet of freedom. We don't have the 'right' to freedom; we only have the duty to 'grant' freedom to others, because without this shared moral definition, nobody can be free.
We should be able to live our lives without even thinking about the government and without worrying whether someone or something is out to take advantage of us. I also believe we should devise a way where health and medical care are a way of life so that people can live without the stress of being without health care. What are the basic principles behind all things in a society?
First, you have to organize society based on the needs of the nation. Secondly, the people must take responsibility for their own lives and do what is necessary to fit into that organization. Without both, it is difficult for a country to function smoothly. The problem is that there are always people who don't or can't take responsibility for themselves, and the government has to create new organizations and laws that logically address problems. Much of the time, problems aren't caused by people consciously breaking the law, but rather by the organization of society not being correctly set up to handle those problems.
I believe America has reached a point in its history that demands new structures to handle the future. One of those is the management of its people. Doing that while ensuring the people's freedom and privacy is a difficult task. But, unless it is handled, I don't see how this society can be managed properly.
First of all, everyone must be accounted for and registered where they live. Nobody should be homeless. We have to stop allowing people to live on the streets; it is just a bad thing. We have to provide health care to everyone, and everyone must be accountable for their own care. This means, no matter the situation, everyone gets a 3 hots and a cot. The basic level of human dignity is part of a successful society. With this, we eliminate slums and dangerous living conditions for everyone. If we can get everyone out of squalor, maybe we can make them into productive citizens, but many have such an uphill climb that it isn't possible for them to dig themselves out of it.
This isn't communism; it isn't socialism; it is humanism. If we want to live truly free, then everyone must be free to live a clean life.
Immigration is a problem that the government has created because it assumes that people automatically know what to do to legally enter the country or stay in the country. No doubt, when my forefathers came to America, they didn't have to apply for a visa. They just came and arrived with nothing but the shirts on their backs. Is it any different today? Not really. So, the thing that has to change isn't to expect people to follow laws and procedures they don't understand or even know exist, but that our government has to be there to organize people when they come into the country, and not through the fear of persecution but through the psychology of welcoming and placing people in a position where they can begin to assimilate into our society.
The rules of society must be taught. This is how a culture is kept alive. This is how you stop erosion of a national identity. You organize it so that people either pass the requirements or they must go back to the country they left. It is that simple. I had to follow the German guidelines to remain in Germany.
The biggest problem the world has today is that many nations are so embroiled in violence, corruption, and poverty that the people have no choice but to flee or die. The answer to all immigration problems is to eliminate the need where it exists, in those countries whose governments are torturing their people to the point that every day they fear for their lives, are getting sick, having children like rabbits, and passing around diseases.
The nations that want to end the massive immigration into their countries must take action against the governments of those countries perpetuating the problem. I don't like nation building, but if we don't protect the people of other nations, then they will come to us for protection, and I can't blame them. Who wouldn't walk a thousand miles to avoid poverty and persecution? I would.
The only way for a complex society to have freedom is when everyone obeys the laws, and the laws make sense and are fair to everyone. The persecution mindset of prisons and punishment isn't really the answer to any problem.
The United States of America is 250 years old today. To uphold the promise of this great nation, we need to have a complete overhaul of how we do certain things, or the divide in this country will only deepen and tear us apart. The powerful will take unfair advantage of the weak, the weak will become impoverished, and the fiber of American life will erode.
To do this, we have to start by organizing people differently. We have to see to it that everyone is represented in government. We have to educate the population not just from grades 1-12, but also continue it throughout life.
Every world power throughout history has ended in its destruction because it wasn't willing to adapt over time to the needs of the day. If the United States is to thrive for another 250 years, it is going to have to modify itself going forward. Otherwise, freedom will be just an illusion.
Freedom is when you know the rules and expectations of a society and automatically do your part to follow them so that you don't have to worry about what you or others might be doing wrong but rather live with an unbridled freedom to pursue the life of your dreams.
Everyone just doing whatever they want isn't 'Freedom '; it is anarchy. You don't want that because it makes people less responsible for their own actions. Freedom requires responsibility from all parties in the spirit of fairness and the common good.