When Liberty is your Common Ground

The Genius of the Founders

In the grand tapestry of human history, few concepts have shone as brightly or endured as resiliently as liberty. It is the cornerstone upon which nations are built, the spark that ignites revolutions, and the enduring flame that guides societies through the darkest storms. The founders of the United States, those remarkable visionaries of the eighteenth century, possessed a profound genius in recognizing this truth. They understood, with a clarity that borders on prophetic, that without liberty, nothing else truly matters. Prosperity, equality, justice - all these noble pursuits become hollow echoes in the absence of freedom. To preserve this precious liberty, they insisted that certain foundational elements must remain steadfast. If these pillars were ever dismantled or eroded, liberty itself would slip away, relegated to the forgotten pages of history books, a relic of what once was.

Today, as we navigate the turbulent waters of modern politics, this foundational wisdom feels more relevant than ever. I observe elected officials across the spectrum vying for attention and influence, and one distinction emerges with stark clarity. There are those who embody true leadership, guided by principles and a vision for the greater good, and then there are those who are merely elected officials, scrambling for relevance in a crowded arena. This divide is not just a matter of style or charisma; it reflects a deeper commitment - or lack thereof - to the very liberty that our founders held sacred. Liberty serves as the ultimate common ground for a divided nation, safeguarding its essentials is non-negotiable, discerning between genuine leaders and opportunistic figures is crucial for our collective future.

Essential Pillars of Liberty

Let’s begin by delving into the genius of the founders. Men like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin were not mere politicians; they were philosophers, inventors, and statesmen who drew from the Enlightenment's wellspring of ideas. They had witness to the tyrannies of Monarchs and Empires, where individual rights were trampled under the boot of arbitrary power. In crafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they articulated a radical proposition: that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and that the primary role of any government is to secure the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What made their approach genius was not just the eloquence of their words but the practicality of their safeguards. They knew liberty was fragile, susceptible to erosion from both external threats and internal decay. Thus, they embedded mechanisms to protect it. The separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches ensures no single entity can dominate. The Bill of Rights enumerates specific freedoms; speech, assembly, religion, bearing arms; that government cannot and must not infringe. Federalism balances national authority with state sovereignty, preventing centralized overreach. These are not optional features; they are the linchpins that hold the body of liberty together. Remove any one, and the structure weakens. Displace them through gradual reinterpretation or outright assault, and liberty fades, much like the Roman Republic dissolved into empire under the guise of security.

Consider, for instance, the First Amendment. It stands as a bulwark against censorship and compelled speech, allowing ideas to flourish in the marketplace of thought. Without it, dissent becomes dangerous, and conformity reigns. History is replete with examples where liberty's erosion began with silenced voices: the Soviet Union's gulags for political prisoners, Nazi Germany's propaganda machine that crushed free press. Our founders foresaw this peril and armored us against it. Yet, in contemporary debates over social media regulation or campus speech codes, we see attempts to chip away at this protection. Proponents argue for "safety" or "harm reduction," but the founders would warn that trading liberty for illusory security is a fool's bargain.

Similarly, the Second Amendment safeguards the right to keep AND bear arms, not merely for hunting or sport, but as a check against tyranny. The founders, fresh from a revolutionary war fought with citizen militias, understood that an armed populace deters despots. Critics today decry this as outdated, pointing to modern violence, but they overlook the deeper principle: liberty requires the means to defend it. Without this, citizens become subjects, reliant on the state's benevolence. History echoes this: disarmed populations in Venezuela or Hong Kong have struggled against oppressive regimes. Preserving this right maintains the balance the founders intended.

Moving to the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, we find another essential pillar. In an era of digital surveillance, where governments and corporations harvest data with impunity, this safeguard is under siege. The founders could not have imagined smartphones or algorithms, but their principle endures: privacy is integral to liberty. Without it, individuals live in fear of constant monitoring, stifling innovation and expression. Edward Snowden's revelations highlighted how far we've strayed, with mass surveillance programs echoing the general warrants that sparked colonial outrage. To reclaim liberty, we must reinforce these boundaries, ensuring technology serves freedom rather than subverts it.

These examples illustrate that "certain things" must remain in place. They are not relics of a bygone era but living necessities. If removed, through constitutional amendments, judicial overreach, or legislative fiat, liberty would indeed fade. Imagine a United States without free speech: debates silenced, media state-controlled, which we are eerily close to now, innovation stagnant. Or without due process: arbitrary detentions, kangaroo courts, eroded trust in justice. Such a nation would resemble the dystopias our founders fled, not the beacon they built.

Leaders Versus Elected Officials

Turning to the current political landscape, the distinction between leaders and mere elected officials becomes painfully evident. True leaders are those who prioritize liberty as common ground, transcending partisan divides. They invoke the founders' wisdom not as rhetoric but as guiding stars. Think of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, who preserved the Union while expanding liberty through emancipation, or Ronald Reagan, who championed freedom against communist totalitarianism. These were not fighters for personal relevance; they were stewards of a greater ideal.

Liberty in Contemporary Debates

Take, for example, the ongoing battles over voting rights. True leaders would ensure elections are secure and accessible, honoring the founders' commitment to representative government. But some officials exploit fears, enacting barriers that disenfranchise or gerrymandering districts for advantage. This is not leadership; it is a scramble for relevance, eroding the liberty of self-governance.

Similarly, in economic policy, liberty demands a free market tempered by fairness. The founders distrusted monopolies and excessive taxation, as seen in the Boston Tea Party. Yet, today's officials often favor crony capitalism, where regulations protect incumbents at the expense of entrepreneurs. Leaders would dismantle these barriers, fostering opportunity for all. Instead, many elected figures prioritize corporate donors, displacing the level playing field essential to liberty.

Foreign policy offers another lens. The founders advocated non-entanglement in foreign alliances, preserving sovereignty and liberty at home. True leaders navigate global challenges without sacrificing domestic freedoms, as Dwight Eisenhower warned against the military-industrial complex. But some officials today pursue endless wars or alliances that drain resources, fading our liberty through debt and division.

Finding Common Ground Through Liberty

Amid this, liberty emerges as the common ground we desperately need. In a polarized nation, where red and blue seem irreconcilable, freedom unites. Liberals cherish liberty in personal choices, like reproductive rights or LGBTQ+ equality. Conservatives value it in economic freedom and religious expression. By framing debates around liberty - does this policy enhance or diminish individual freedom? - we can find consensus.

For instance, criminal justice reform: both sides agree mass incarceration erodes liberty. Leaders like those in the bipartisan First Step Act demonstrated this common ground. Environmental policy, too: protecting clean air and water preserves the liberty to live healthily, without over regulating to the point of economic strangulation.

Education is another arena. The founders believed in enlightened citizenry for liberty's sustenance. True leaders invest in public education while respecting parental rights and school choice. But officials fighting for relevance push indoctrination or defunding, displacing the balance.

Healthcare debates rage, but liberty demands access without coercion. Leaders would expand options, not mandate systems that limit choice.

Immigration: liberty calls for secure borders and humane pathways, honoring our immigrant heritage without compromising sovereignty.

Even in technology, regulating Big Tech to protect privacy and speech upholds liberty, as long as it avoids government overreach.

To discern leaders from officials, look for those who invoke liberty consistently, not selectively. Do they defend freedoms even when unpopular? Do they build bridges or burn them for clicks? True leaders, like the founders, prioritize the eternal over the expedient.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the founders' genius lies in their unyielding focus on liberty. Without it, nothing matters; with it, all is possible. The safeguards they established must remain inviolate, lest liberty fade into history. As we watch elected officials, let us champion true leaders who make liberty our common ground. In doing so, we honor the past and secure the future. This is not just an ideal; it is our imperative.

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Michael is a United States Air Force Veteran, father of five and grandfather of three, passionate about this country and the Constitution. 

Editor-in-Chief, Colorado DOGE Report.