LETTERS: DON'T STOP LIBERTY BELL'S RINGING

To the editor:

Will the Liberty Bell cease to let freedom ring? In the United States -- where democracy has been more than just a theory, where freedom has played such an important role in shaping the world around us -- before our very eyes we are watching our freedom being taken away. It began when we started taking freedom for granted in the midst of aggressive forces determined to have other forms of government prevail. This was followed by apathy. We surrendered our minds to the demands of those whom we placed in office. What would Thomas Jefferson say of this generation? He said, "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

We are living in a democracy, and freedom is the essence of democracy. But we have surrendered such freedoms as our right to speak our minds openly to praise or criticize the government, support the part in power or organize opposition parties. It appears we are a far cry from a dictatorship. However, the frog in the water which was slowly warming would never have believed that it would ever reach a temperature which would cause his existence to cease.

Some argue that the United States is not a democracy and was never meant to be. There is the view that our Founding Fathers intended the nation to take the form of a republic. In 1787, the word "democracy" meant something other than what it means today. Most of the Founding Fathers intended the new government to be based on the consent of the people. It would be impossible for all citizens to make the laws and carry them out. But with every new law intended to make our world a better place to live, there comes the price of freedom. Benjamin Franklin said, "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

So, on what road do we travel? Are we heading toward the path of a new revolution? Or shall we some morning wake up to a form of government our country once despised?

In the eyes of the world, the Berlin Wall once stood as a symbol of rule by tyranny, just as the Liberty Bell today symbolizes freedom. John F. Kennedy said, "The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it." Are we willing to pay the price? If we are, we will let our voices be heard throughout the world, demanding a voice in the important decisions that affect our lives. If this should fail to happen, the Liberty Bell will cease to let freedom ring.

RON FARROW

Cape Girardeau