I have been amazed when listening to political speeches over the last 10 to 12 years, to hear how the emphasis has changed from that of freedom to security.  I understand our basic desire for security; we are more comfortable when we perceive our jobs, our income, as well as our physical being as being secure.  We may openly want security, but what we crave is freedom.  Security is the vehicle that has allowed socialism to gain footholds and to expand in governments around the world.  Socialism promises to provide a safety net, it promises that no one will fall through the cracks of life.  Socialism promises to level the playing field, to provide for all of our needs, that no one will go hungry, no one will be in need of medical care, no one will be in need of a place to live, and no one will fail.  Freedom is risky, it allows failure, and it promotes constant growth and change.  If you do not constantly grow and change, you may find yourself or your business falling behind.  Because freedom allows for failure, it also allows for success.  Our freedoms allow us to try, allow us to make mistakes, allow us to fail, and allow us to continue trying until we have reached our greatest potential.  As a free people, our success is only limited by our desire to achieve.  The lure of financial security and job security is one of the greatest attractions to unionism.  As we have witnessed over and over, the promises of increased pay, the guarantee of a job and promotion are really only perceived securities.  When a business begins to fail, all of those promises are either thrown out the window or the business collapses under the weight of these securities.  Either way, the promises evaporate.  Our current two party political system is fed by a desire for security.  We choose a party that we think will look out for our interests.  Once we have aligned with that party, we never hold the party accountable.  When it is time to vote, we rarely stray from our party loyalty, it is safer that way.  It is risky to vote outside our party lines because our vote may be “wasted”, or it may help to elect a person from the other party.  As voters, we don’t look to see what the individual stands for, we don’t want to see what their past actions have been, and we feel secure in voting along party lines.  That perceived security is a hollow promise, the parties themselves don’t look to see what the candidates stand for or what their past actions have been, the parties’ only concern is whether the candidate is electable.

            After 9/11 many citizens felt that one of the president’s primary jobs was to keep this country and its citizens safe.  It made everyone feel better about the world around them to know that there was someone responsible for their security.  It is not the president’s or any politician’s job to keep us safe.  The oath of office that they promise to uphold says they will protect the constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  It is not the office of the president or any other politician that protects us; it is our freedoms that are guaranteed to us by our constitution and given to us by God that keep us safe.  Our security, real security, is provided to us by our freedoms.  Our government, just like the union bosses, cannot provide true security.  They can and do make promises that sound like they will keep us safe.  They will use the earnings that they take from us to create more jobs, to provide universal health care, to stop global warming and climate change, to eliminate guns and violence, and to end all wars.  Just like the union bosses, they cannot deliver on those promises.  When our economy has collapsed, when our currency has become worthless, and when the people no longer trust their government, all of those promises will also collapse and become worthless.

            Elections have consequences, we have elected our representatives and they are going about the business of running our country.  Just because the election is over does not mean that our responsibilities as citizens are finished.  We as voters and citizens need to turn the volume down, stop listening to what our representatives are telling us and start looking at what they are doing.  Are they expanding our freedoms, allowing us to provide for our own security through those freedoms, or are they taking away our freedoms and an opportunity for true security under the guise of government provided security.  As we then approach another election campaign season, we must decide if we are going to vote for freedom or if we are going to vote for the empty promises of perceived security.