Freedom Accentuates Honesty, Integrity And Duty

Do you ever get tired of listening to people complain? At times it seems like nothing can or will make them happy. Searching for why we believe we are trapped, helps us to comprehend the reasons. I don’t think freedom means a sense of abandonment of responsibilities, nor does it mean we are slack in our duties. Rules equate to freedom.

There are those who search for freedom, with the idea that it alleviates all work, all accountability, and all rules. Freedom means the opposite of all of that. If we abandon rules what is left. Anyone could steal from another, and there would be no consequence. There would be no compensation, for the person who had the items stolen. people could help themselves to money, without working, and take  things from the store, without paying, because maybe it is overpriced anyway. They could choose to go to work on their own time, and leave when they had enough. They could forget about  disciplining their children, and let them torture the neighbors kids.

Of course we might have a few more car accidents, as the rules of the road are ignored. If no one is working on a  regular basis, we would be searching for food and clothing, as well as money to pay bills. There wouldn’t be hospitals running smoothly, with the few staff members that showed up. The sports games would end in fighting, because no one would be following the rules. It appears that everything about our economy, and way of life, would be altered for the worse.

If there was no work expected, then streets, sewers, garbage, doctors, police, firemen, teachers, store clerks, hairdressers, bankers, accountants, scientists and countless others would be at home doing nothing. How long could we all get by without work being accomplished? I would guess a couple of hours and then total frustration would set in. Those people involved in accidents, would be an obvious loss, because how would they get to the hospital for help, and who would be in the hospital to help.

Checking out accountability, we have no schooling thus no reading nor math. Whose watching and raising the kids? Who is taking responsibility for the uncompleted jobs? I think we get the idea. Rules actually work to keep us safe. Responsibility and accountability helps us stay focused and complete the jobs we must finish. If jobs are not done, we all suffer. It may seem appealing, but a lack of rules accountability and job sharing, would create turmoil. None of us could survive in those situations.

So what is freedom really? Asking various people, gives us a multitude of answers. Freedom is actually having choices within parameters. We are not forced to behave believe or think in  a certain way. We can display our  own personalities, depth of knowledge, area of focused learning, ideas, vacation ideas and  ability to collaborate on the rules for our  cities and towns, states and country.

Thumbing freedom down to homes and families we can apply the same guidelines. If we toss out the rules and commitments of marriage we are left with the dissolution of many marriages, the displacement  of a huge number of kids, and a lack of time money and energy with one household becoming two or more. That  really is a  difficult thing to work out. Of course many people do it, but the price is burdensome, and nobody talks about that, until a person reaches the payment time.

If the accountability is thrown away, along with the kids,  no one is to be blamed.  The parental union is dissolved, so technically where are the bosses? Kids have lots of freedom, and make many mistakes. School work is one overlooked area, because nobody is responsible. Maybe we need to have a check list of a child’s needs and wants, when marriages are dissolved. That might help with accountability. Who buys the food and feeds the children? Who cooks,  cleans and pays the bills? The most important question is who gives the love, the unconditional love?

Freedom comes with rules, responsibilities, and work. It gives us some leeway, but it doesn’t dissolve us of duties. As long as there are others supporting us, we have the help and means to have many choices. It is all within guidelines, just as any ballgame is played. Our government works with rules and responsibilities. Our families function the same way. If we dissolve the government we dissolve our freedom. If we dissolve our family we have dispensed with the collaboration of our spouse and to a point, the accountability for our children.

The dilemma leaves our lives in chaos. That is when no one takes the fault. Crowd mentality alleviates one of guilt. Divorce alleviates accountability from parents, in a sense. One parent blames the other for the lack of homework completed, or the torn book. Of course neither our country, nor our families, thrive without the rules, which tie in with freedom. The same is true in marriage. Yes, a husband or wife expects certain commitments from their partner. When both have taken an oath, it is essential to commit to living up to that promise. There is plenty of freedom within a marriage, but also lines that are not meant to be crossed, unless we undervalue our love and commitment.

If we appreciate what we have in our lives, then we live with the rules. If we do not have gratitude for what we have, and we toss it aside, we will cause disruption and chaos in our lives. Maybe we need to understand the importance of our life, and the people in it. By recognizing this, it might manifest our precious regard for it with dignity. Bringing honesty into our lives promotes character. There are consequences for dissing rules. Things also fall apart in our home lives, when we diss our family. Real freedom comes with understanding the precious things we have, and cherishing them deeply, on good days and bad. We can all work choices in and around our lives, as long as they don’t tread on our rules, obligations and commitments to love.

“Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” Abraham Lincoln

“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” Bob Dylan

 “As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility.”     Arnold Toynbee

 There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought.”     Charles Kingsley