I cannot claim that my study of government or history or sociology is extensive. I have a degree in a technical field, so the vast majority of what I know about social issues is self-taught. And I have barely made a dent in all the books I wish to read on the topics.
But when I was a high school freshman, lo these many years ago, I was required to take a civics class. That civics class was taught by Mr. Strathe, a middle aged football coach who called us all by our last names, allowed us to chew gum in class as long as he couldn’t see it, and imparted information to our empty little heads in a laconic, detached manner. He never seemed to get excited about anything, ever. If I had to guess at his politics, I would say … mmm … probably moderate Republican.
Anyway, I didn’t realize it at the time, but as he made us memorize the Preamble to the Constitution—the test was reciting it out loud, in class, so we all heard it at least 25 times—quizzed us on the Bill of Rights, and taught us the duties of the three branches of US government, I was learning basic but crucial lessons that would guide and inform how I viewed my country for the rest of my life.
And maybe the most important lesson he taught us was this: in a representative democracy, my right to swing my fist ends where the other guy’s nose begins. In practical terms, this means that laws and judicial decisions seek to find solutions that prove most equitable for everyone, that give everyone the same REAL rights and access, not just rights on paper.
In a representative democracy, freedom is relative. You want absolute freedom? Buy a tiny island somewhere and live literally by yourself. If you want to live in the US, part of that is accepting that other people have freedom too, and that when those freedoms conflict, it is the right and obligation of our government to try to find the most equitable and fair solution.
