What is Liberty

What is Liberty

What is Liberty? While we can start with a dictionary definition, we have to look a little deeper to find a more fundamental meaning and how that meaning relates to the world today.  Liberty, or at least the Liberty that I concern myself with, is more than just Freedom.  We can demonstrate this difference with a simple look at American History.

At the end of the Civil War, those who has been slaves were Free.  They were no longer erroneously considered in bondage to another, but did they have Liberty?  Well, no.  Laws in the South were created to restrict the Liberty on these former slaves and other Free Blacks.  It wasn't until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that the descendants of these individuals (and other Blacks) could be said to have the same Liberty that other Americans enjoyed.

Why is this distinction important?  

No comments:

Post a Comment