Some of you may know, but for those who may not, the town that I am from, Hartley, has lost a hero this past week. Shane Koele, a 1998 graduate of Hartley Melvin Sanborn High School, a son, a brother, a father, and a husband lost his life in Afghanistan from a land mine. Shane was a true soldier, fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, a true hero. But what else did Shane fight for, what else are all of those soldiers, including my brother Thomas, fighting for? I have a pretty good idea, freedom. Freedoms for us and freedoms for them.
I wrote an essay, an attempt to define the word Freedom, and I would like to post it. It may not be that great, but I would like to dedicate it to Shane Koele and all those who have lost their lives for the cause and for those who continue to fight.
There are five basic freedoms all citizens of the United States of America possess under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of Press, the Freedom of Religion, the Freedom of Petition, and the Freedom to Assemble were all listed under the First Amendment by our Forefathers as rights that the citizens of our great nation could not be denied. Freedom, to truly be free, is a gift given to all citizens through the blood, sweat, and tears of other citizens. Men and women have fought in wars and battles and marched and chanted for the freedoms we now enjoy. Freedom is the liberty, free will, independence, and sovereignty we all share in our great nation.
Like so many things in life, we tend to take our freedoms for granted. Going through our day-to-day living not really understanding the full scope and range of the freedoms we really have. We do not see when looking at the newspaper that the writers, reporters, and editors have the right and freedom to put what they feel appropriate into print. We so often encounter our liberties in day-to-day living that they have become unnoticed in our lives. Unnoticed until we feel that someone else has infringed on our freedoms, then we become defensive. We forget that our rights and freedoms end where the next person’s rights begin. It has become too easy to take a lawsuit to court forcing high courts to make decisions concerning everyone’s five basic rights when people are off fighting for the very freedoms that are contested every day. Are the efforts of our soldiers to preserve our freedoms in vain? No. When will we start to forget about the fighting against freedoms and remember the fight for the freedoms.
Even though, Men and women are still fighting the war for freedom. The United States has taken upon itself to set aside any minor problems we have with our basic rights just to spread those rights to people in our world. To spread the freedoms to people who would give anything for a chance to practice a religion without fear of being jailed or killed. There are millions of people in our world today who do not enjoy our same basic freedoms because of a tyrannous foe who denies them those rights. But we have vowed to spread our freedoms to people who do not know them as we do.
We the people of the United States of America know five basic freedoms that have been given to us: speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly. We have taken for granted those simple rights for long enough, it is time to spread those rights to others. Considering all the men and women who have died or are still fighting for the purpose of protecting those rights, we owe it to them to share the freedoms we know so well and use so often. Let us put aside our own selfish desires and extend to a world of tyrants and evil the blessing of freedom.
I would like to request that you all pray for Shane's family as they mourn their fallen hero.
May God grant you His blessings,
Adam
