One of the things for which I am thankful …
Like you, there are many things in my life for which I am thankful. I am the most thankful for my family, the spiritual beliefs I have, who I am as a person, husband, father, friend, architect, and specifier. However, there is a discovery for which I am extremely thankful to have enjoyed these many years.
While I did not at all understand why, a particular question occurred to me as a teenager growing up in the 50’s and 60’s down a dirt road in deep Southeast Texas the oldest son of a blue-collar family. This question has remained with me since and it was not until about twenty years or so ago that I was able to answer the question to my satisfaction. Before I disclose the question, I have to ask that you not laugh at the oddness that such a question would occur to such a country kid as I was at the time.
The question: What is my greatest freedom? Again, this question was so unlikely to cross the mind of someone that did not even understand what the political version of freedom was all about, much less what “having rights” meant. At the time, I obviously did not know the path my life and career would take, but I was confident that someday I would be able to answer the question. Well, as we are prone to get smarter as we become chronologically challenged and begin to experience the world …. I eventually answered the question. And since that realization, I have seen the world differently.
The answer: The greatest freedom is not a freedom at all, it is a liberty. Freedom and liberty are two distinct ideas, and it is my belief that a liberty is more significant than a freedom (Wikipedia defines liberty as the condition in which an individual has the right to act according to his or her own will, and freedom is defined as the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual. ).
Therefore, the greatest liberty we can enjoy is ….. to not be ignorant. After having the opportunity to travel significantly, having gotten a college education, after reading a considerable number of books, after more than three decades as a professional, and after having thought about “the world” a great deal, I am of the conviction that my greatest liberty is that I can choose to be either ignorant or intelligent.
So, if I have this liberty as a citizen of this nation, then we all have the same liberty. This is an extremely important distinction; history has well established the significance of the distinction. Those that cannot think critically tend to be the casualties of political ideas, tend to be taken advantage of, and tend to be the brunt of many of the bad things we only read about. Those who can think critically tend to be ones that make a difference in this earthly existence. While critical thinking can certainly lead people and nations astray, it is also the critical thinkers that can lead people and nations in meaningful ways. It is also the portal in which we can go through to be the person we want to be, to have the things we want to have, and to accomplish the things we want to accomplish.
So, you ask, what does this have to do with CSI? It has a lot to do with CSI. First, we have freedom to be a member of CSI, the liberty to be intelligent, and freedom and liberty to have professional careers, families, friends, and interests … without fear. How much longer this will last remains to be seen.
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