How is your freedom doing?
Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Human beings:
Today my mind is considering freedom and what it really means. This pandemic may be causing all of us to think about what freedom means.
We all know that implicit in the ideal of freedom is human rights. Take away human rights and all that’s left of freedom is some kind of abstract limited concept. Consider this statement from the declaration of independence:
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Some people in America think this statement applies to all Americans. Others only see it applying to certain Americans. Those who benefit from this statement tend to apply the trickle-down theory to it, assuming that over time it will somehow work its way down to everyone. But after 250 years many are thinking, maybe not. When a country is built through the shedding of innocent blood, lies, and deceit, the systems of that country must be dismantled, abolished, and reformed.
“WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR ABOLISH IT AND TO INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNMENT, LAYING ITS FOUNDATION ON SUCH PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZING ITS POWERS IN SUCH FORM, AS TO THEM SHALL SEEM MOST LIKELY TO AFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND HAPPINESS.”
What does it take for all people to be created equal? Coronavirus is showing us that all humans are created equal. 100 thousand dead and counting. Among them are all kinds of people who stem from all ethnic backgrounds.
The Jewish people have a saying. “Six million lives lost is a statistic, but one life lost is a tragedy.”
Today as I struggle to process over 100 thousand people taken by the coronavirus, I’m also struggling to process the continuation of police brutality and killings of Black people in this America. My heart is broken behind the recent videos that have come to light, showing the cold-blooded murder of Black men, who did no crime, had no weapons, and gave no resistance. I haven’t lost sight of the big COVID-19 picture. But I am living out this American tragedy as a Black Man and as such, I find myself, along with Black people across the country fighting for my freedom.
The restrictions laid down as a result of COVID-19 do impact some of our freedoms. But they are in place to keep people safe and to help save lives. These restrictions don’t bother me nearly as much as the restrictions I face daily as a black man in America. I would argue that each time I see an act of violence against a person of color in America, my view of freedom is impacted and my confidence in the protection of my freedoms is shaken.
It’s a sad thing that there are people who are sworn to serve and protect in this country who firmly believe that black people should not be free to live or to live free. It's even sadder that these actions have been supported by our government. COVID-19 could be a call for Americans to finally stand up to the powers that be and change the language and the government that speaks so eloquently of freedom and equality but falls grossly short of it in practice.
How’s your freedom doing? Mine is threatened daily and always up for grabs. My freedom is being overlooked as a human being while at the same time being watched in department stores. My freedom is being pulled over while driving black. My freedom is stop and frisk. My freedom is redlined in certain neighborhoods. My freedom is being guilty until proven innocent. My freedom is always a suspect. My freedom is…oh wait, that’s not freedom, that a knee on my neck. My freedom is I CAN’T BREATHE!
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
How’s your freedom doing?
Tim Smith