Letting freedom ... freedom ... freedom ... ring

America has always had a complicated relationship with freedom. The comments in 1954 of Howard Mumford Jones, American intellectual, critic, and professor, are eerily prescient in 2020:

“While it is true that we in this nation remain free to be idiotic, it does not necessarily follow that we must be idiotic in order to be free!”

On one level, we have FDR’s State of the Union Address in 1941 outlining the Four Freedoms — Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear. At the time, most people considered these quintessential American values. Today, many ask: Freedom for who? Freedom from what?

Our embrace of independence and individualism has been a hallmark of our national identity that has often confounded the rest of the world, friend and foe alike. At its best, this self-identification as exceptional, can-do people has fueled an entrepreneurial spirit resulting in technological leadership that is usually lacking in countries more prone to lockstep groupthink. During times of crisis, this has positioned America as the entity that must be heard from before any definitive action is taken.

Less endearing is when this morphs into an entitled attitude of national swagger, particularly when it seeps into everyday life. Attending the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, I witnessed this first hand. Inevitably, as we lined up for an event, the only people cutting in line, going in the “out” door, attempting to scale the stairs marked “no entry”, were … wait for it … Americans. A national tragedy? No. A poor reflection on us? Yes.

The problem seems to be that a recipe that calls for both freedom and responsibility can be problematic. Temperature variations and poor timing can really throw things off. Try adding a dash of common courtesy, and sometimes it just boils over into an inedible mess.

Perhaps another Howard Mumford Jones quote can add some insight into why we continue to fail to find the right balance between freedom and responsibility. “Ours is the age which is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to.”

The words of a man who died 40 years ago. “Ours is the age …,” I’d say we’ve hardly aged at all!

 

M. A. Duca is a resident of Twin Lakes narrowly focused on everyday life.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Lakeville Journal and The Journal does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Grumbling Gryphons’ set to celebrate 45th anniversary with gala and summer theater camp

Celebrating its 45th year, the Grumbling Gryphons will perform at HVRHS Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m.

Photo provided

The Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater is preparing to celebrate its 45th year — not with fanfare, but with feathers, fabric, myth, chant, and a gala finale bursting with young performers and seasoned artists alike.

The Gryphons’ 2025 Summer Theater Arts Camp begins July 28 and culminates in a one-night-only performance gala at Housatonic Valley Regional High School on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. Founder, playwright, and artistic director, Leslie Elias has been weaving together the worlds of myth, movement and theater for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less