Freedom Isn’t Just Your Personal Trophy

Let’s get something straight right from the start: The United States was never meant to be a Christian nation. Period. Full stop. Our founding fathers weren’t religious zealots – they were straight-up revolutionaries trying to escape a system where the monarchy, church, and big business were all tangled up in one suffocating knot of control. Exactly what MAGA and the rest of that Reich Wing bunch are trying to bring back.

Breaking Free from the Old World Order

These guys were the rebels of their time. They’d seen how state-sponsored religion crushed individual freedoms in Europe, and they said, “Nah, we’re doing something different.” Something revolutionary. Need proof? The Constitution never mentions God, and the Treaty of Tripoli (1797) flat-out stated that the United States was “not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.” Boom. There are literally hundreds of articles and historic quotes and such supporting this FACT. The Wall of Separation between Church and State is absolutely real and the intent of the writers of the Constitution.

When Things Started Getting Messy

But here’s the thing – some folks have been trying to rewrite this story since day one. It started sneakily enough: slapping “In God We Trust” on coins during the Civil War, So that was 88 years after independence. Then – plot twist! – in 1956, right in the middle of the Cold War, they made it our official motto. It replaced “E Pluribus Unum” which had been the de facto motto since 1782, 180 years from independence! This wasn’t about faith, folks. This was pure political theater, drawing a line against those “godless communists.”

The Myth of the Self-Made American

Now, let’s talk about this “I did it all by myself” nonsense. You know the type – they claim they’ve never needed help from anyone. Really? Unless you’re out there:

• Weaving your own clothes from cotton you grew
• Building your car from ore you mined yourself
• Learning everything without books, teachers, or the internet
• Making your own paper and ink

Spoiler alert: You’ve had help. We all have. We’re part of this big, messy, beautiful human tapestry, and that’s exactly how it should be. We are all in this together, and the better you do, the better I do, the better ‘they’ do, the better we all do.

What Real Freedom Looks Like

Here’s my vision of freedom, and it might ruffle some feathers: You should be free to be exactly who you are. Completely, unapologetically you.

• Christian? Great.
• Atheist? Awesome.
• Muslim? Wonderful.
• Transgender? Cool.
• Native American, Irish, African, Mexican? Welcome to the party.

The only limit? Don’t hurt, harm, harass, or try to legislate away someone else’s existence just because they’re different from you.

A Radical Take on Discrimination

Here’s where it gets spicy. Want to discriminate? Fine. I would be good with repealing the anti-discrimination laws. But you better have the guts to be honest about it. Put it right on your front door:

• “No Irish Allowed”
• “Long-haired Hippies Need Not Apply”
• “We Don’t Serve Your Kind Here”

But buttercup, you better be ready for the consequences: lost business, damaged reputation, social backlash. And guess what? If you’re going to exclude others, be prepared to be excluded yourself. That’s how freedom of association really works.

If your business sign just says “Welcome” – that means EVERYONE. No asterisks. No fine print. No “except for…”

The Real Strength Is in Compassion

Let’s be real: Anger is easy. Hate is lazy. Want to show real strength? Try:

• Actually listening to someone different from you
• Making an effort to understand their perspective
• Admitting when you might be wrong
• Showing kindness without expecting anything in return

That takes guts. That takes character. That takes real moral fortitude.

The Bottom Line

Freedom isn’t your personal trophy to clutch tightly and keep away from others. It’s not a pie where someone else’s slice makes yours smaller. Real freedom is messy, complicated, and gloriously inclusive.

So here’s your challenge: Be brave enough to defend the rights of people who are nothing like you. Protect the freedoms of those who make you uncomfortable. Because when we lift each other up, we all rise higher.

That’s not just idealism. That’s the promise of America. That’s what those rebellious founders actually envisioned.

And if that makes you uncomfortable? Good. Freedom isn’t supposed to be comfortable. It’s supposed to be free.

References:

1. Wood, G. S. (1998). The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. University of North Carolina Press.
2. Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary, 1797.
3. Lepore, J. (2018). These Truths: A History of the United States. W. W. Norton & Company.
4. Jefferson, T. (1802). Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association.
5. The United States Constitution.
6. Public Law 84-851, 84th Congress (1956). National Motto of the United States.