"He who surrenders liberty in the name of security will have neither."
-- Benjamin Franklin

I Gave Up a Little Liberty
by Hugh Emerson

When I found out there wasn't a trust fund and that I could guarantee myself a better retirement if I could just keep my own money, I felt less secure.

I gave up a little liberty for security because I wasn't as strong as my ancestors. I would probably just become a drug addict if drugs weren't so hard to get, so I let them wage the war on drugs in order to be more secure.

When I heard that a friend had experienced a "no-knock" search by accident because the police had transposed two digits of an address, and when I realized drug prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before, was creating the profits for gangs of organized criminals who terrorized the residents of our cities, I felt less secure.

I gave up a little liberty for security because I wasn't as kind as my ancestors. I'd just spend all my money on myself, so I let them increase my income tax to pay for their social programs in order to feel secure in the knowledge that my fellow Americans were provided for.

When I compared the amount the government had spent over the years to the amount received by those in need, and when I saw how destructive the government rules were to those families in need, I felt sure that I could help people better if I didn't have to give all that money to the government. I felt that those families are less secure than before.

I gave up a little liberty for security because I wasn't as patriotic as my ancestors. I probably wouldn't give the Department of Defense enough to run their show the way they'd like, so I let them increase my income tax again in order to be secure from foreign threats.

When I thought about our policy of sending troops all over the world, though, I realized that doing so antagonizes the terrorist regimes who target our civilians in retaliation. It also means that our resources are too far away to actually defend us in case some two-bit dictator launches a missile attack at one of our coastal cities. I felt less secure.

I gave up a little liberty for security because I wasn't as wise as my ancestors. If I were allowed to own a gun, someone would probably just break in to my house and use it against me, so I let them ban guns to be more secure.

When I thought about the type of folks who were likely to be able to get around a gun ban, and when I heard that the statistics show that gun owners are better off than disarmed victims, I felt less secure.

I started thinking about all the other things forced on me by government: burdensome regulations, sales taxes, property taxes, and all the other taxes. I started thinking about all the things I got in return: lousy roads, terrible schools, stupid laws, and failed programs.

I went to the Democrats, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They told me that I just had to wait for their next program, and that it would fix everything.

I went to the Republicans, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They told me that they were sorry, but they had to keep voting for the Democrat programs to keep getting elected, but maybe they'd phase in liberty over several years.

I went to the Greens, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They told me that my liberty wasn't as important as biodiversity.

I went to the Reform Party, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They told me that what I really wanted was a more efficient govenrment.

I went to the Constitution Party, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They told me that they would return our nation to Constitutional Government -- just as soon as they were done amending the Constitution.

I went to the Libertarians, and I said, "I want my liberty back!" They said, "We do too! Vote for us, and join our party!"

I think I'll vote Libertarian next time. Heck, I might even join I'em and run for office myself.

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
-- William Pitt

Back to the essays page