A Freedom Clinic in One Paragraph

"Happy, thrice happy the people of America! whose gentleness of manners and habits of virtue are still sufficient to reconcile the enjoyment of their natural rights, with the peace and tranquillity [sic] of their country; whose principles of religious liberty did not result from an indiscriminate contempt of all religion whatever, and whose equal representation in their legislative councils was founded upon an equally really existing among them, and not upon the metaphysical speculations of fanciful politicians, vainly contending against the unalterable course of events, and the established order of nature." 

-John Quincy Adams

This quote is a clinic in good government. Freedom culture includes such things as:

* Gentleness of manners
In early America this phrase referred at least partly to a society of small farmers and shop owners, instead of a society employed in the rivalry and fray of world competition.

* "Habits of virtue"
In the language of the time, this meant active participation in government by the regular citizens (using the Greek concept of virtue) as much as moral behavior.

* "Reconcile ... natural rights, with ... peace and tranquility"
This refers to the assumption that in Europe nobles and city-dwellers had rights while the people of the farms and country typically did not, and Virgil's and other writings comparing the Roman Republic (of peace, tranquility, and the more relaxed life of ownership) with the Roman Empire (full of rivalry, competition, fray and the cosmopolitan struggles of class society).

* Simultaneous encouragement of religion, and tolerance of beliefs"
In Europe's history nearly all wars came from the struggles between competing religions or the fight between believers and non-believers.

* "An equality really existing among them"
In America the laws created one and only one class level. Everybody was part of the same class. In contrast, in Europe one's class was always part of any governmental role. In fact, there were so many classes that each and every person serving in government was a superior to many and an inferior to others. Every relationship was that of superior and inferior. This greatly influenced each legislative debate.

* "Not upon the metaphysical speculations of fanciful politicians, vainly contending against the unalterable course of events, and the established order of nature"
This is a specific commentary on Burke's argument for what he called, "Virtual Representation," where political leaders were expected to represent the people--but not directly appointed or answerable to them. In the United States, we instead adopted direct representation.

This is a great summary of the role of any free citizen: 

• entrepreneurial thinking and ownership
• active, ongoing civic participation 
• strong beliefs and simultaneous tolerance of other views
• treating all equally without reference to economic status or celebrity
• electing the right political representatives 

If every citizen actively engaged this role, we would live in a different world.