I often hear the words freedom and liberty used interchangeably when they are, in actuality, different things. Simply put, freedom is the state of being free FROM something (Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” is a perfect example of what freedom means) whereas liberty deals with the state of being free TO DO something, although both refer to the quality or state of being free. While liberty can be restrained within a free society, there can be no liberty without freedom.

At its core, liberty is what grants to each of us the possibility of being able to act in a way that enables us to take control of our own lives and realize, to the best of our ability, our potential.

Liberty, though it can come in many forms, is essential to the good health of a society. Without liberty people are stifled, life is oppressive, industry stagnates, nations collapse, and cultures are stunted.

Liberty is not something to be granted by any Government, potentate, or religious leader. Liberty can be curtailed for one, for a few, or for all for many reasons. But the natural Right to liberty can only be taken by him who gives it. Our human Right to liberty is granted to us solely by our creator.

It’s because the liberty of a nation’s people can be curtailed by a Government, a potentate, or a religious leader, and the effect that such curtailment has on that nation’s people, that liberty must be resolutely defended and never willingly surrendered or blithely cast aside.