The “Liberation” Generation
In its truest sense liberation means the setting free of someone or something. We can understand that animals raised in captivity are often unprepared for their liberation when they are released back into the wild. Treating an animal in this way would be cruel. Captivity has given the animal food without it fighting for food and a home without searching for its appropriate hiding/nesting place. The animal’s instincts for survival have been deteriorated.
In a political context liberation can be referred to activities connected with removing the disadvantages experienced by particular groups in a society or removing a tyrannical government. I don’t think the current generation truly understands what a disadvantage is these days.
Those who seek liberation related to a political context are often called activists. They are acting on behalf of a particular cause so as to make the “world” a better place. Think of climate change or voting rights. But is making the world a better place a form of liberation? Who determines what is “better”? This is why we have democratic process. If we don’t have democratic process then activists would be imposing tyranny by mob rule or worse.
It’s okay in the United States to organize a group to bring awareness to a problem or cause. It’s against the law to bring that awareness by implementing force or destruction. But perhaps thwarting the law is an act of “liberation”? It is NOT!
States or cities declaring sanctuary, penalty systems removing bail bonds, employers hiring low wage “workers” and foreigners remaining in the country after a visa has expired are all methods of thwarting the law. What I find interesting is that all of these methods have few ways for the ordinary citizen to combat them because it is often the elected officials who have implemented them. The only way to hold them accountable is to elect new officials who demand that these actions stop and that existing laws are followed. Few states or cities that thwart existing laws seem to care about the unintended consequences of their actions. Though their actions “liberate” some people, these actions can create victims of other people. This is the real disadvantage.
Our society must get back to the work of recognizing the actual victims of violence and crime by giving them sincere justice. Liberation cannot mean that perpetrators have more opportunity to commit violence and crime by being given lax punishments which effectively turn them into wild animals trying to survive in civil society. Perpetrators need a form of captivity to be rehabilitated, and sometimes they should remain in captivity.
As I process the horrible assassination of Charlie Kirk, I can’t help but think that all of what I just wrote in the above paragraphs is connected to this incident. The killer was literally living in their own cage of mental anguish and fear of the “other”. Liberating themselves from their cage meant ridding the world of differing beliefs and the open expression of them. Charlie did not fear other beliefs and opinions. He was open to them and debated them head on…Charlie did not hate or use violence. Instead he used the liberal ideals of individual civil rights and liberties expressed and guaranteed in our Founding Principles.
The demons of Socialist/Marxist ideology have been uncaged. This type of “liberation” must end. As the prominent Christian minister and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This quote reflects biblical principles found in verses like Matthew 5:44 and Romans 12:21. These verses encourage loving your enemies and overcoming evil with good, which aligns with the core message that only love can counter hate. How sad that he was assassinated too.
Speaking your mind with compassion is true liberation. We must act wisely to preserve this fundamental right.
The Shrew 