So many things hold us down in life, fear of people, fear of the past or future, fear of danger, fear of punishment, fear of remembering sad things that hurt us, and guilt for the things that we have done wrong. Freedom is possible from all of these fears. You can be free to be yourself. You can be free to be what you were made to be, to fulfill the purpose that you were created for. But, with this freedom comes a responsibility.
With all of the lives that have been lost since the birth of our country, as well as before the American Revolution, freedom is not free. Anytime a person loses his or her life by protecting us, that's a cost. Never before has this been realized by so many Americans, that is, until September 11th.
Since the Civil Rights Movement here in our country, and the civil wars in other countries, we have all seen the fear, desolation, desperation, disbelief, confusion. every emotion on the faces of the people in our country. It's eerie, yet, when we ask for freedom, we are risking our lives. Freedom, and risking our lives come in a package. This package stands right before us today.
With all of the technological advances, how free are we? Is freedom really free? No! The loss of life is a high price that has to be paid for the freedom and choices that we have here in America. A greater question that I ask myself everyday, and that I encourage you to ask yourself, is, "What responsibilities do I, as an American, have toward insuring freedom for all people in America?" Also, "What responsibilities do I, as an American, have toward insuring respect for our diversity today, and in the future?.
Our country would be even more free, if every single person, every single day, took time out to ask themselves those questions. Will you take a stand for your country? Will you do what's right?.