A Saying From Colonial America
Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
I got some bad news for old Benjamin. If what he is saying is true, most humans do not deserve liberty under this formulation. People are willing to give up a lot for safety, and a much of it is sensible: driving licenses, building codes, pulling over to let an ambulance pass, lock up your guns, stop signs, fire codes, drive slowly near schools, licensing of plumbers and electricians, etc.
What would pure liberty look like? Imagine if all of the above weren’t in effect.
After the Boston Bombing at the Boston Marathon, residents were asked to stay indoors while police searched for the terrorists. People complied. Astonished cries came from so-called lovers of freedom who exclaimed that Americans have become passive sheep. Imagine listening to the police when they ask you to shelter in place when violent terrorists were roaming around the city. How could Americans have become so compliant, they asked.
I have an idea. No one wanted to run into one of them outside their house.
In the pursuit of safety, people supported the War on Drugs and harsh penalties for young men termed “super-predators.” They rounded up Japanese-Americans during World War II. These mistakes do not mean Americans don’t deserve liberty.
Instead, people have the chance to reevaluate, and through that, deserve their liberty. We always will need to challenge ourselves and our fears to keep our freedom. As such, “freedom” will always evolve.
That’s who deserves freedom, Benjamin. The people willing to struggle for it every day.
You might find the following enlightening:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Anton+Chaitkin&crid=1MYJQGK501MWV&sprefix=anton+chaitkin%2Caps%2C113&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
http://patriot-project.weebly.com/anton-chaitkin.html#.Y5ZZjeROklR
http://american_almanac.tripod.com/contents.htm
https://lust-for-life.org/Lust-For-Life/AgainstOligarchy/AgainstOligarchy.pdf