As the value of freedom has diminished in Americans’ eyes, many citizens idealize other forms of Government. Why do constituents look on other governments with rose colored glasses? Possibly because they feel entitled to a “free-ride” because of their birth as Americans.  For the record, it is important to note that Freedom and “free-ride” are not the same thing! In fact, it is ironic, modern Americans seem to want to recreate the environment from which their family members originally fled.

Our flesh and blood left friends, relatives, and the lands of their births to face famine, hardship, and death. Why would one risk one’s life and the lives of one’s family members? The reason one would risk so much, is to gain the prize of freedom.  So that the government would no longer take from you what ever it pleased and stop ruling you and your family as slaves.

We speak of liberty and freedom so often in America, and I fear it has lost its significance. For many natural born Americans it has. Because they know not (experientially) from what they have been freed.

In a culture where more and more offspring remain in the home, well into adulthood, getting a “free ride” with no parental strings attached, is it any wonder our generation thinks we need a Mom and Pop government who will pay the bills on our behalf and not require anything in exchange? We have committed a crime against this generation by not instilling in them the ability to contribute or blaze their own trail. Dare I say, we have provided far too much! It is abhorrent, the atrocity we have perpetrated by spoiling our Nation’s children. We have eroded their ability to dream, to commit, to serve, and the ability to reap the reward of their work. By providing everything, we have stolen everything! Through hardship comes opportunity to overcome and to achieve. We have traded their American Dream (opportunity) for the American Nightmare (so-called entitlement). We treated them like royalty, but found that we created beggars who would sell their birthright of freedom for a free bowl of healthcare (or any other government handout). My question is: Is that “free bowl” really free?  If you trade the house you own (which requires your maintenance and upkeep, aka work) for the government provided free cardboard box (that they will take care of the upkeep for you) is that really a good trade?

We must realize that nothing is free. We are trading all the time. We make trades with our time. We make trades with our money. We make trades with our votes. We make trades when we write laws. We need to stop and evaluate. We need to ask ourselves. Is this a good trade? How do we know? It is simple. We need to ask ourselves, “What is the cost?” And, “What is the gain?”

What is the cost? This is the problem with raising children/adults and not teaching them about cost. Everything costs. And everything pays. Wisdom is required because often something claims to be “free”, but there is a hidden charge. It’s not advertised. Like the infomercials, where the item is “free”, and then later, you get bill for the “shipping and handling” charges. It is no different in the rest of life. Our actions ALWAYS pay rewards. Sometimes the payout is good and sometimes terrible. We must ask ourselves. What is the cost? Getting a “free ride” from the government sounds good, but we must accept reality. Everything costs. What freedoms will we have to relinquish to have “free” healthcare, for example? Perhaps we will lose the freedom to choose which Doctor to see. Maybe we will forfeit the freedom to choose medicines that are more beneficial with less side-effects. We may relinquish the freedom to choose a life or death procedure for a family member. You may think the government will take care of you like good old mom and dad, but when somebody else is paying the bill, they are the one who gives the orders.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather pay my own way.

My pastor puts it this way. Our children cannot choose (though they may want to) to fly down to Florida and go to Disneyworld on our dollar. But if we want to do that, we can. Whoever is paying, has the freedom and has the control.  They are the decision maker. When we have responsibility we have freedom. If we give up our responsibility for ourselves, and our families, we will also lose our freedoms.

Let’s not be naïve, even though, it would be easy to be ignorant of the “shipping and handling” charges of “free” government programs. I challenge you to find someone who has immigrated to this country (legally or not) and ask him/her why he/she is here. Ask them about the freedoms they experienced under big governments of all kinds. Ask them about the healthcare that they received.  Their stories will never leave you. Government inflicted terrorism on it’s people should not be taken lightly. It is very real. There is a reason why they are here. For refuge. Refuge from what? Refuge from big government. Refuge from modern slavery; the slavery of the people to their government. They are here for work and for opportunity. Why? Wouldn’t it be easier to get a handout? NO! Slaves, children, and beggars get handouts. They are here to be self-governed by working to pay their own way in the world. To have whatever they desire, so long as they work for it. That is the American dream. It’s called the Land of Opportunity, not the Land of Entitlement. You are entitled only to whatever you earn. Unless you want to sell your birthright, that is. And there are plenty of Masters who would purchase you, for the price of healthcare (or any other government program), if you are a willing seller. Oh, they won’t call you a slave, but make no mistake those are the “shipping and handling charges.” They would gladly turn America into the Land of the Gimme and Home of the Slave.