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Literary
The Challenge And Price Of Freedom
Every individual in today's society is extending a challenge to himself and mankind . The challenge consists of what price each single one of us is willing to pay in order to main- tain and protect his freedom. Although we pretend to extend the challenge in a vigorous manner, in actuality, the fallacy of our society is to accept the challenge in an indifferent manner. If ever we sought a more dangerous means towards a destructive and chaotic society we are at this very moment selecting that proper means. Indifference and apathy always breed the gradual dec Iine of democracy and our own personal freedom.
In all the annals of history, no notion or empire has survived for any real length of time, if that nation or empire continued to enjoy luxury and security--that is, unless the character of its people was morally and spirituall"y strong. Our governments have sent our men overseas to defend our ideal of freedom against other disrupting beliefs. In defence we have spent bi II ions of dollars in the vain hope that we can attack first and save ourselves. But what is the significant purpose in doing so? Actually, we have overlooked the fundamental fact--that by seeking security and luxury, we are sowing the seeds of destruction for our society.
The basic evil of society is the ability to make money. This would not be a basic evil if we did not allow it to come first in our thinking. In our thinking, the ideal of materialism is dominant, not the ideal of freedom.
To a vast majority of modern society, freedom will just remain an ideal which they will continuously abuse and take for granted. They will only pretend that they cherish freedom.
The present tendency of our society is to regard the world about us with complacency and indifference. We should awaken to the fact that none of us can afford to be complacent or indifferent. A serious lack of interest in public affairs will eventually cost us our freedom.
But a remedy to remove this situation can be found if each single one of us shows a willingness to change our attitudes, to educate ourselves in pubIic affairs, and to co-operate.
The price of freedom is not the human sacrifice of millions in a war so that our society and even the civilization of the world can live securely and comfortably. The real priceoffreedom is the willingness of everybody to use his mind to its fullest capacity. The real price of freedom is the responsibility of everyone of us to become interested and informed in public affairs and to remain so. Let our society be an example and a beacon of hope for millions of human beings so that someday they may have an op- portunity to express themselves in a creative, technical and intellectual manner.
How much of the challenge are you willing to accept? What price are you willing to pay?
Jon Hastings XIII
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