Written by: Victoria L. Spencer-Keene

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…

Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

If you will, please take a few moments to read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. When you have finished ask yourself one question. Are these words still true today? I was asked why Americans should help the civil rights reformers in the Middle East. I say that if these words are as true today as on the day they were written then there is no excuse why we should not help them.

I believe, and I know that many others agree on this point, that these words are as true today as they were when the American Colonists wrote them. If we believe that all people have been created equal then we must make strides toward giving the people in the Middle East the help and support we can in order to create a form of government that allows them the same rights we lay claim to. Freedom is not for any leader to dictate nor is it for someone well meaning to choose for another. It is not for us to force freedom upon them, but to support their cause and help them to accomplish their own goals.

There are people in the Middle East who are ready for the change that freedom brings. It is within out power to help them reach that goal. No more should people give their lives for speaking out. Now is the time to stand up as one with them to take freedom. Every person is different, here or there. Each person has hopes, wants, and needs that can be and should be fulfilled. If they are ready to stand and fight for their freedoms of speech, religion, and the ability to petition the government, then we should be ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as our forefathers stood with each other. 

Unfortunately there are many obstacles that must be faced before most Americans will want to help. Many are still reeling from the terrorist attacks that have occurred here in America, and also in England in the past few years. For many Americans the events of September 11, 2001 are still hauntingly close. Instead of seeing those attacks from one group of people, many place the blame on every country and group of people in the Middle East as a whole. The entire are should not be condemned because a few terrorists have taken very wrong actions.

Sometimes I believe that Americans have become complacent in regards to the dream of freedom. This is another reason that Americans do not want to join the fight. It is not enough for us to read the dry wording of our fight for freedom in a history book. I feel that if we truly understood the reasons our forefathers fought and died for freedom, we would not only want to help others find it, we would feel obligated to do so. It is not enough to simply know that we are free. We must remember the hardships those who came before us faced to secure those freedoms for their children.

The third, and possibly the biggest reason that many Americans are unwilling to help is simply a feeling. If we feel that they are not ready to fight and die for their freedoms, then we believe that they are unable to truly understand what that freedom means when they have it. I myself have used this argument in the past. That which we do not see, however, can be our greatest weakness. I ask you, how many stories of courage were never heard because a dictator covered up the truth? How many have given their lives in the current struggle for freedom? And I answer, we cannot know. The horrors of living under dictatorship are unimaginable to those who were born and raised here in America. We do not understand the evils that can be perpetrated against people with no one being aware of it. After seeing the evils of the past one hundred years, we should not only be aware, but should expect cover-ups on a grand scale. 

            The individual rights as they are laid down in America allow us the freedom to speak out when there is a problem, live our lives in relative peace and safety, and choose the religion that we will follow all the days of our lives. These rights are powerful, as they have allowed massive reform and change even after our government was fully established. When an individual is tried, he or she has the right for a jury made of the peers of that individual to make a decision based upon the evidence given. Each person is allowed to attend school, to demonstrate on given issues, and to effect new change within the local, state, or federal government. Our press has the right to speak about issues in government, which allows common people to have an understanding of the issues being addressed and to petition the government for change. We also have the right to bear arms to protect ourselves from personal harm.