For 56 men back in 1776, declaring America's independence from Great Britain and putting their names on the document was equivalent to signing their own death warrants. All but two of those men had families, which meant that far more than 56 people were suddenly vulnerable. They were putting themselves, their wives, and their children at risk. How much easier would it have been for them to simply roll along with Mother England and pay the extra three pennies per pound on tea? Would life really have been so bad? Was it worth all the fuss and danger?
Perhaps we could pose the same question to certain runaway slaves from Maryland who, under their masters, were allowed to hire themselves out for employment in their particular trade to the local population, buy their own homes, clothing, and food, take care of their own medical expenses - in short, allowed to live the same life as the free blacks who lived among them. All they had to do was give a portion of their earned income to their masters. That's it. Other than that, they lived like freemen. Yet, some of them still ran away, placing themselves and their families at great risk. Was life really so bad? Was it worth all the fuss and danger?
What is freedom worth to you? If you trade yours for convenience, for routine, for familiarity, for laziness, for a sense of security, for apathy - you not only deprive yourself, but you rob those who innocently come after you.
If we fail to preserve and pass on our freedom to the next generation, we condemn them to chosing between doing without, or fighting for it. But at least we can count on one thing: if they decide to fight for it, they will be far more dedicated to preserving it than we were.
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