We're in a lot of trouble people! As day after day goes by, people seem to be less concerned with the consequences of their actions. In order to lay the foundation for my argument that only through high moral standards will America maintain its valued freedom, I must begin by defining morality. Morality requires distinguishing between good and bad. Once this distinction is made, morality is conforming to the good and avoiding the bad. Of course the argument then becomes "well then, what is 'good'?". Morality, or good behavior, generally protects yourself and others from physical, emotional, or spiritual harm. On the same note, immoral, or bad behavior, generally hurts others and promotes personal gain at their expense. Honesty is a great example of this concept. By being honest with others, you protect them from any false hope or expectation. You also help protect them financially; you wont steal from them or cheat them out of anything. Every human being has the ability to know the difference between basic good behavior, like honesty, and basic bad behavior, it is instinctive. There are certain things that may seem more difficult to distinguish than others, but if we strive to do the things that we know are good, we can be sure we're on the right path. God has given this ability to everyone in the form of a conscience. Though we all have this ability to recognize the difference between basic good behavior and basic bad behavior, our consciences may be desensitized through constant exposure to negative things. As a result, bad things gradually appear less and less destructive and people begin to feel justified in their immoral decisions. This sense of justification leads people to believe that they should not have to pay the consequences for their actions.
Our country was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs with a great emphasis on The Ten Commandments. Whether you are a religious person or not, most people understand and agree that honoring or respecting your Mom or Dad is important, that you shouldn't cheat on your spouse, nor should you lie, steal, or kill. All of these principles are found in The Ten Commandments. Living this way (with the commandments as a guide) implies that individuals have certain freedoms, which is exactly what our founders sought to incorporate into our constitution, and later, the Bill of Rights. They saw government as an oppressive institution whereby these fundamental freedoms were destroyed. They themselves experienced it under British rule. After ridding itself of the tyrannical British government, the United States faced a very difficult issue, the establishment of its own government. The founders knew that there was a need for some form of government so as to maintain order, but how should it be done? How could any institution be given power to govern without abusing that power? James Madison explained the delima this way:"But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself". To be moral is not easy, in fact in many cases it is unnatural, which is why there is a need for government in the first place. The more a people can self-govern (which requires morality) the lesser the need for government to step in.
In our day we see a government that is ever expanding. Individual freedoms are being taken from us and the ability to control our own lives is diminishing. As a whole, our society must return to the principles of morality that our founders embraced. Individuals need to be moral. They need to be charitable and take care of those within their own community, and they need to be honest. By doing so, the need for the government to step in will be less. There will be less government programs, less government spending, and less taxes. As a result, we will enjoy our freedoms more fully and protect them from being taken from us in the future. We will truly be able to pursue happiness how we see fit and help others to do the same.
