Question of the Day | 07/02/2009 11:00 pm

In celebration of Independence Day, when was the last time you really took advantage of your freedom?

Candice Bergen, Joan Ganz Cooney and Liz Smith revel in their freedom …

Candice Bergen | 07/02/2009 11:00 pm

Candice Bergen Was Arrested for an Anti-War Protest

I take advantage of our freedom every day. My daughter just spent ten months in Ethiopia and came home with a new appreciation of our rights and comforts (and toilet paper) and freedoms. But I guess 40 years ago when we were protesting the war and a bunch of us were arrested for blocking the hall in the Senate was the most theatrical.

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Liz Smith | 07/02/2009 11:00 pm

Liz Smith Revels in Her Freedom to Gossip and More

I have been celebrating my independence since my bylined column began back in 1976 and I had my first real opportunity to write almost anything I damned please and the Devil take the consequences.

I had to be responsible for what I printed and I learned a lot about taking credit, taking blame, trying to be fair-minded and still entertaining.

Come to think of it, the 4th of July as I grew up in Texas was a much bigger holiday than even Christmas. We went crazy on the 4th and my parents let my brothers and me out the front door summer mornings and didn’t ask us where we were going, how would we get lunch and how they could reach us. We just knew we had to be home by five o’clock PM to bathe and dress for Daddy. It was a much more informal kind of growing up but it spelled FREEDOM. It taught a lot of self-reliance.

4 Comments

Joan Ganz Cooney | 07/02/2009 11:00 pm

Joan Ganz Cooney on the Gift of Freedom

I take advantage of my freedom every day just by walking out of my apartment house and going to my office and saying what I want to say — negative or positive — about our government and anything else that comes up. Our personal freedom is the most precious thing this country gives to each of us.

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The last time I took advantage of my freedom was when I closed the curtains in the voting booth. Hats off to our troops, and our loyal citizens. God Almighty, please continue to bless this country, and help us through these tough times.

By James the Game on 07/03/2009 12:09 am

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Thank you, James — you said it and you said it so well. Amen

By Andy C on 07/03/2009 8:51 am

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The last time I took advantage of my freedom is now and I thank God for allowing me to live in our Great Nation.

The kids are grown, the X is history, and now all I need to do is take care of me.

Because I am an American I have freedom every where I look.

I feel sorry for any one who doesn’t have Democracy, which ensures our FREEDOMS

By Deniseann Taylor on 07/03/2009 12:37 am

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I enjoy my freedoms and can identify with Liz and Desniseann. When it comes to really being free, I think Garth Brooks put the truth in music in 1994, a song I still love to listen to.

"We Shall Be Free"

This ain’t comin’ from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there’s shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
‘Cause we shall be free
When we’re free to love anyone we choose
When this world’s big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
‘Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there’s only one race and that’s mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free

By Linda Myers on 07/03/2009 1:30 am

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I am free everyday because I have choices. I can choose and enjoy my preferences. I exercise my freedom every day. I love it.

By Frannie Em on 07/03/2009 1:58 am

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Perhaps a better question would be … Which, particular ‘freedom’ have I enjoyed, or taken advantage of. Because there is no such thing as absolute freedom [in the larger realm of things]. Because implicit in the ideal of freedom is taking personal responsibly for one’s choices. For when all is said and done, freedom does surely comes at a cost - the noble and the practical - whether it’s taxes, compromise, tolerance, or humility.

By Maizie James on 07/03/2009 2:51 am

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Good, Maizie. And thank you for your comment yesterday re: my exceptional creature.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/03/2009 7:07 am

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Every day but we can’t forget the service people who are serving so we can continue to enjoy our freedom. It is their sacrifices that continue to allow us independence.

By Chris Glass` on 07/03/2009 5:14 am

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Chris, right now, and for a long time, we have not had our military fighting for our freedom, only (apparently) for others.

By C jay on 07/03/2009 6:10 am

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I am the daughter of a career military man. During the protests of the 60’s during the Viet Nam era he would tell people he was serving so they could continue to protest. The military is always there for us even when we don’t see them in action. Think about the people assigned during natual disasters to prevent looting. Think about what is happening in North Korea it will be our serivce people who will be on the line first if something happens. Our military presence makes other countries think twice before launching an offensive against us.

A modern military doesn’t have the presence that it once did but it is every bit as necessary to keep the freedom we have today. Our service people make great sacrifices because it is our leaders who keep putting them in the line of fire. We talk abot supporting the decisions in Washngtonbut is isn’t "we" who give that support. It is our troops and their families.

By Chris Glass` on 07/03/2009 10:07 am

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Primarily our National Guard until you-know-who sent them all to Iraq, leaving the nation unprotected.

At the same time, I was "there" when the Berrigan brothers were arrested by the NG, and police. Freedom?

By C jay on 07/03/2009 11:40 am

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I’m all for honoring our service men and women, but our independence comes from long fought battles here at home starting, of course, with the Revolutionary War. And we women have also had our wars as have other races and we are still battling same sex marriage, and those that have had to fight for this individual freedom will taste its sweetness in a different kind of way––always remembering when it wasn’t there.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/03/2009 8:30 am

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Our independence is a continuing battle because without a military presence we would be invaded for our natural resources. Our internal battles started when we began as a nation. We have, and always will have, internal individual battles for personal freedoms such as women’s right to vote, work and pay equality, marriage of choice and the war against corporate takeover of property owners. Those battles couldn’t be fought if we were didn’t have a military presence in the world. We might have ended up with a leader denying women the right to education and hiding us under veils.

By Chris Glass` on 07/03/2009 10:20 am

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Chris…thank you for all your excellent posts….God Bless our US Military!!!! And for keeping us safe and FREE!!!! No matter what the war they are fighting!!!

By Libra Lady on 07/03/2009 2:04 pm

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Chris,

Some people have difficulty understanding the many ways in which the military protects our freedom. I happen to be one of those who supports our military and is grateful for what they have done.

By Andrea Brandon on 07/05/2009 1:21 am