Michael J. Massengill
Instructor Christiana Rennie-Varner
Writing 101
June 27, 2013
Liberty
Mankind’s desire for the freedom to choose, to speak, to worship, and to simply pursue happiness led to the idea of liberty. This was a time when liberty was an abstract idea. Allegiances to King and country were the norm and servitude was not just expected but demanded. When people are confined to a life of servitude they will rise up and fight for their liberty. Freedom is the driver in the seat of happiness and aspiration. A monarch with strong-arm tactics and a lust for global domination would lead to a scene of anarchy on the docks of the Boston Harbor. With a declaration of independence, a bloody war and a bill or rights, we would begin to truly pursue this new life of liberty. In the beginning it was a tea party arranged by poorly dressed patriots in the ruse of savages in the harbor of Boston that would cause a most famous horse ride on the evening of April 18th, 1775. One could say that this was a ride for liberty. The next day a shot would ring out across the world as the fight for American Independence began. Now it is Seal Team Six and a daring raid on the compound of Osama Bin Laden or a disheveled pathetic looking Saddam Hussein finally caught by the good guys, groomed and hung in the name of justice and liberty. Patrick Henry’s famous words,” Give me Liberty or give me death!” would be the motto of a generation that would create the blessed United States of America (BrainyQuote). Not only would this motto lead them but it would foster the Constitution and a Bill of Rights. The freedom to speak, the freedom to choose and worship would not only be encouraged it became guaranteed. Guaranteed that is for the free white man. In the dawn of this great nation woman had little to no rights, slavery was the norm and slaves were considered property or livestock if you will. As for the American Indian well that was just a bunch of vicious savages to be wiped off the face of the continent or properly educated like a good a decent white man. Perhaps the crack in the Bell of Liberty was an ill received omen of times to come. The gifted Statue of Liberty announced to the world send us all your unwanted and we will take them in. A time would come when this little nation would split and disagree on what Liberty really meant. Brother would fight brother in the bloodiest war ever fought on the grounds of this great nation. The war would end but the resentments would not and thus the Wild West was born. Persons of this time period found themselves free to live in any way that made them happy. Men had the freedom to sling pistols on their hips and lay down dead any man he disagreed with so long as there was a fair showdown. Many a man met his end with a bullet in the back however and crime was rampant on this great nation. To maintain the happiness of the many and protect it from the few justice must be served upon the people. Enter the Pinkerton, the Marshall and a vast assortment of Sheriffs quick on the draw and fiercely determined to protect the rights of the innocent from the rights of the criminals. This led to the noose or even worse the hoosegow. Confinement could happen if the crime was right and in this vast nation crime was building a vast network of privately owned prisons easily filled to capacity in today’s wonderful version of this great nation. The train robbers of the past would be replaced by the drug dealers of today and soon the terrorists of the world. This has led to prisons packed with non-violent offenders who have lost their liberties. In our pursuit of Liberty times have changed and many more have rights within this country. Slavery is a thing of the past and men and women are equal regardless of race or religious preference. However freedom is a privilege and easily stripped in today’s American Society. It is also a privilege that must be earned as Thomas Jefferson said, “the tree of