10.29.07
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance
The above phrase is credited to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and one of this country’s Founding Fathers.
It rings true for everyone, but if you’re a racial, sexual or religious minority or a woman in many cases, doubly so.
To maintain one’s freedom, including one’s human rights and the rights of others iis a never-ending fight. Complacency means things don’t get done and it leaves you ripe for exploitation. Sometimes because of illness, injury or bad luck it’s difficult to be vigilant. So you need advocates who can act on your behalf at times. It seems that the way social bonds and connections form are changing, and maybe even eroding. This type of vigilance is becoming more difficult.
While vigilance to maintain freedom may be declining, cheating seems to prosper. Performing enhancing drugs in sports runs deep and Barry Bonds, Floyd Landis and Marion Jones are just the tip of the iceberg. Recruiting scandals are not uncommon in college and even high school sports.
Enron and other corporations have made headlines with accounting chicanery.
Claims to power are often dubiously attained as evidenced by the 2000 presidential election that the Supreme Court handed to George W. Bush and the 2004 Washington state gubenatorial election that went to Christine Gregoire. Bush likes to talk a lot about promoting and defending freedom, but in reality he’s not very vigilant about it or about anything else for that matter. His list of accomplishments on the White House Web site are modest at best and compared to what Clinton got done, should be outright embarrassing. But perhaps that was the purpose. To keep the status quo for the haves. Bush has few priorities besides his misguided foray into Iraq, which continues to result in billions being poured down a rathole for a fruitless cause. Gregoire, despite her attitude of entitlement in her campaign, has fared much better and made some hard choices and has gotten things done. In that case perhaps the ends did justify the means. Maybe racist sororities can assist in launching a good career in politics.
In the end, vigilance requires leadership, something that is generally lacking. And in the presidential lineup for 2008, Barack Obama, clearly has the most potential, although his lack of experience might mean he’s over his head. But really, so is everyone else.
