The Choice
Published 7:38 pm Wednesday, August 29, 2012
What has happened to our country? As a parent, when my son approached teen age I began to hear a well-rehearsed refrain from him. Being the good father I would offer assistance or instruction and would be confronted with the statement, “Paleaseee Dad, I can do it myself.” He demanded the opportunity to fail, the opportunity to learn on his own and the opportunity to succeed with the knowledge that he did it with out assistance. I do not think there is a parent alive that has not heard that common refrain: I would rather do it myself.
As parents we learn from our children that if they are to succeed, we must give them the freedom to learn, the freedom to achieve, and yes, the freedom to fail. We must allow them the freedom to choose, to choose their own course of action. I soon discovered the second opportunity for a parent to teach life lessons: The freedom to choose carries with it the ownership of the consequences of that choice. Whenever we make a decision—a choice—that decision carries with it an outcome, a consequence.
The words “freedom” and “rights” are often used as if they mean the same thing. I have the freedom to choose what I want to eat. I have the right to choose what I want to eat. There is, however, an area where we fail to make the proper distinction between the words. I have a right to collect the Social Security that I have paid into all my life. I have a right to it because I paid for it. It is not a freedom. It is not guaranteed under the Constitution. My Social Security funds are derived from my personal earnings that were taken from me before I received a check from my employer.
The American people have been coddled to the point that many just don’t want to be responsible for their choices. One of the speakers at the GOP convention this week stated that his grandparent did not immigrate to these United States for the benefits, they immigrated for the freedom to live their life free from government interference. They came to the United Sates to exercise the same freedom my son demanded, the freedom to act without outside interference. They came knowing that there were many possible outcomes of moving from their home to a life in the United Sates.
One of the consequences of immigration is the distance placed between family and friends slowly erodes relationships. The good or the bad of those relationships was exchanged for the freedom to live a life free from outside interference. Many Americans are willing to trade their freedoms for tiny benefits that can disappear as fast as a melting snow cone in the July heat.
When we choose government provided benefits, we are choosing to accept the theft of money from the private sector to pay for government provided benefits such as Obamacare. When we make that choice we have diminished the opportunity of a free people to use their money as they choose. We need to spend money on infrastructure, defense and many other items. But we need to choose leaders that will respect the source of the funds the government controls and spend it wisely and conservatively. We cannot and should not demand that our leaders borrow recklessly to provide benefits that we cannot afford. The ultimate result is that government then demands tax money to pay the debt, and we can afford even less. We loose the freedom to choose how to spend our own money. Giving up any freedom is ultimately a bad choice.
Ed Tyler lives in Pell City. He may be reached at ed@edtylerinc.com