© 2017 Bill Murphy
Remember the words, Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to give from Janis Joplin’s big hit, ‘Me And Bobby McGee?’
The song was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster. Kristofferson says that he got the inspiration for the ‘freedom’ line from the 1954 Italian movie La Strada, written and directed by Federico Fellini. The storyline of that dark movie illustrates that freedom can bring both joy and misery.
The message of ‘Me and Bobby McGee,’ is that freedom is a two-edged sword. It truth, FREEDOM is much more than that.
Today’s America is a home divided, a family in dispute and heading toward divorce. The dividing lines are drawn, each daring the other to cross. We know that a house divided cannot stand, yet we still want the other side out of ‘our’ house.
The fact is, although our great nation was founded on ethical, moral, and Christian principles, it was built through many unethical, immoral, and un-Christian actions. And here lies the seed of discontent.
The cry of the Left today is for socialism, whereas the cry of the Right is for free-enterprise. Although history well proves that socialism is a dead end street, truth also teaches us that free-enterprise, like freedom itself, is also a two-edged sword.
When I turned to the word FREEDOM, I discovered some most interesting things… things which closely correlate to the words of Me and Bobby McGee.
When you consider the true meaning of the word FREEDOM, it’s not actually the glorious rallying cry of which we hardily sing. Freedom is not 100% positive. Freedom is fraught with negativism and danger! You see, by its very definition, freedom has no limits.
True freedom is not limiting. True freedom is the bird set free from the constraints of the cage, free to soar where ever it pleases. The free-bird is free of it’s cage, where it has found shelter, food, and safety. Now it’s truly free, to find its own food (if it can), to find its own shelter (if it can), and free of safety also – free to now be caught and eaten by creatures who see him only as food.
FREEDOM means that there are no constraints. None. Nada. Zip.
Another 1969 hit, People Got To Be Free by The Rascals tells another totally false version of freedom:
All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free
Listen, please listen, that’s the way it should be
There’s peace in the valley, people got to be free
That’s what they sing in the streets today. They foolishly sing of freedom without understanding what that they’re sing about!
When you’re free, I’m free also. We’re ALL free. We’re all free of all constraints. No one will be telling us what to do. That’s true freedom. No rules, no laws, no constraints! We’re freeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
And that my friend, is the definition of ANARCHY.
We see anarchy on the news all the time now… when people throw off the constraints of reason and law, and embrace the ‘freedom’ to do whatever, to whom ever, when ever, and how ever it pleases. Never mind that you become a victim in the process.
The truth is, we don’t really want (or shouldn’t want) freedom. What we want is LIBERTY.
Liberty is ‘freedom’ as that ‘freedom’ is defined by and limited by certain previously and mutually AGREED UPON constraints.
These ‘constraints’ are simply rules, regulations, and duly agreed upon laws designed not to LIMIT our freedom… but to PROTECT US from unlimited (destructive) freedom.
Believe me, you want the LIBERTY to possess and use an American Express card… not the FREEDOM (Where other’s are free withoutconstraint to steal and use your monies as they so choose.)
We want OUR freedom, but we don’t want OTHERS to have that same freedom that WE enjoy – especially if their freedom will will harm US!
There’d be very little peace in the valley with everyone free.
Listen, please listen, that’s (not) the way it should be.
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Pen In Hand 