Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  July 06, 2021

What Freedom and Independence Really Mean

We’re on the road for our annual cross-country drive to New England. The journey gives me plenty of windshield time to ponder how people have twisted the independence and freedom we celebrated this past July 4^th weekend into justifying stupidity or worse, domestic terrorism.

It’s easy to celebrate our autonomy when no one gets hurt. But how do we balance that self-determination with threats to our democracy? Some responses to the January 6^th insurrection have made me drill down on what independence really looks like.

Here in the United States, we are free to believe whatever we want. To be wrong. To make mistakes. We don’t have the right to expect immunity for our behavior. Freedom doesn’t mean we get to do whatever we want — and if it hurts other people, well, too bad. Freedom is not a free pass for bad decisions.

My grandfather always said, “A bird can’t fly so fast that his tail can’t catch him.” Translation: Whatever you do will catch up to you. We are free to choose. And that choice drives what happens next.

Now Read This:

• Using Freedom and Wisdom to Create a Better Life
• Freedom Is an Inside Job