CRYING LIBERTY

The Liberty Medal is the top civil award made by the United States. Many of our readers, or listeners to the radio version of the Letter from London, might not realise, or know that the United States has national awards that are made annually to not only American citizens but also to those from other nations. One of these awards is the Liberty Medal. This, as I mentioned a moment ago, is America’s top civil award. Along with the medal is a financial award of $100,000. The award is made by the recommendation and decision of the National Constitution Center in Washington. Acknowledging the U.S. Constitution it gives the Liberty Medal to those people whose actions represent the founding principles of the United States. We would amend this to read “… to those people who, in its opinion represent…” etc. Awards, in various parts of the world have, over the years, been made which, with the passage of time and further knowledge and experience of the individual or individuals concerned been regretfully withdrawn.

It has recently been reported in the British press that Tony Blair, past prime minister of the United Kingdom,
is to be awarded the Liberty medal by the National Constitutional Center based in Washington for, as they said, “bringing liberty to people around the world.” The medal is to be presented to Mr Blair by past president of the United States, Bill Clinton at a ceremony in Philadelphia on 13th September. The newspaper report quoted Mr Clinton as saying “it was a privilege to work with my friend, Tony Blair, to help end 30 years of sectarian violence and broker a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, to stop the killing in, and a mass exodus from, Kosovo, and to develop policies that would improve living conditions for people in both our countries.”

Mr Blair’s office told the Guardian newspaper which carried the first reports of this award that he would be donating the $100,000 to two of his charities – the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative. The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Blair was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former U.S. president, George Bush, in January 2009.

Are we now to assume and go along with the fiction that there is now peace in the Balkans, peace in Northern Ireland and peace throughout the world. We prefer to read what the bible, the word of God, says about it. In Isaiah chapter 59 verse 7 speaking of the world in general, he says this: “ Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.”

In Northern Ireland an accommodation was reached, nothing more, and “power sharing” became the new catch-word. The IRA got what they wanted! The two main leaders of the terrorist organisation, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, renowned for possession and use of a particular automatic weapon, received positions in government as a result of the IRA’s strategy. They had a schedule. This schedule had various requirements – one was that the police force of Northern Ireland should be renamed and no longer called the Royal Ulster Constabulary but now the Police Service of Northern Ireland – another requirement was that the police should no longer wear blue uniforms but wear green ones instead. The royal crown had to be removed from the uniform. These might seem to be innocent changes, but in fact they carried deep symbolism for both sides of the divide.

Has the violence ceased? The old IRA lives on in new clothes, now those of what is termed the “Real IRA.” Killings have continued, not at the previous level, but there is still no peace. The agenda has one major goal and that is the unification of Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic, with members of the IRA forming the government. If there is sufficient time before everything comes to a head this goal will become a reality. Northern Ireland will be absorbed by the Republic of Ireland and government will be from Dublin. What about Africa! Surely Africa is at peace within itself and with the world beyond its borders. South Africa managed to host the football World Cup but there is no peace, real peace, in Africa. Do we really understand what real peace is! The slaughter of people, the massacre of others, the taking away of property from others is endemic throughout the continent. Speak to the British citizens of Zimbabwe! Especially those who managed to leave and return to Britain. The many British settlers who farmed the country. Almost all of those people have had their farms taken from them at gunpoint. The economy has been wrecked and democracy and the rule of law is a bad joke! Is there any peace for those settlers? I don’t believe anyone has been awarded a Liberty Medal for resolving the Zimbabwe situation! Talk to the victims of the pirates of the Somali Republic, a nation on the east side of Africa and close to the shipping lanes from the east to the Suez Canal. An older couple who actually come from the same town in which we presently live were attacked by pirates, as they were sailing on their boat towards Dar Es Salaam. They were taken and have been held for ransom for over a year, their yacht stolen. The months pass and they are still held, with only fear for their future for company. What happened to their peace and freedom?

How about the Far East. China is a well governed nation is it not? In fact, it is an authoritatively governed nation! And it’s not a good idea to be a citizen of Tibet! How about India and Pakistan? As recently as 9th April 2010, the British High Commission in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, said they constantly receive calls numbered in the hundreds from distressed British schoolgirls coerced into marriages they do not want. Forced by family members to marry against their will. We like to brush this away by saying well, it’s the culture. A culture to do violence to young girls and force them into a travesty of a marriage. Its no good saying well these girls are Moslems. That may be true, but they are nevertheless British citizens and were living peacefully in Britain but were tricked into going back to Pakistan. Once there, they lose their freedom and are coerced or tricked into unwanted marriages. They might just be able to surreptitiously call the British Embassy; which a number do and in many cases to the credit of the High Commission, do get help. Peace? These young girls have no peace.

In the Middle East the nations surrounding Israel constantly threaten it and have publicly stated their intention and desire is to sweep the Jewish people into the Mediterranean Sea. Iran is intent upon developing an atomic bomb or a nuclear warhead for missiles.

So it continues around the world. If you live happily and peacefully with sufficient income to meet your needs and even some wants or desires; if you have sufficient food on your table, if you have help available when you need it because of either illness, or advancing years, then you are not the average citizen of this planet. Your life is well above the average. However, are you living a life of freedom and liberty?

What actually is “freedom” and “liberty”? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “exemption or release from captivity, bondage or slavery. The power to do as one likes. Unrestrained action, conduct or expression.” In many, if not most, British schools today there is no discipline, no restraint upon the unruly child. They are free to disrupt the group. But what about the group, their freedom to learn, study and pass exams is curtailed through a mistaken understanding of government as to what freedom truly is. Laws are enacted and put into effect in order to maintain a freedom and liberty for the whole! Freedom and liberty therefore is only possible within a law. Law gives the individual the parameters within which he has freedom. The bible explains this perfectly.

The prophet Ezekiel wrote regarding the time just before the return of Jesus Christ. He speaks to those who are the descendants of the twelve sons of Israel who would be living at Christ’s return. He writes about their attitudes. He gets very specific. In chapter 13, verse 16 He writes about Jerusalem and about people who “…see visions of peace for her.” This is happening today, but God says “there is no peace.” In verse 10 Ezekiel speaks of people who “seduced God’s people saying, Peace; and there was no peace;” And why is that? Isaiah chapter 59 verse 8 says this: “…The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.”

There is another verse in Isaiah chapter 61, verse 1 he writes “… he has sent me to …proclaim liberty to the captives … to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God:” Of whom was this written? Jesus Christ! It is recorded for us in Luke 4:18 how he actually read these verses in public, in the synagogue at Nazareth and said “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Sin, the breaking of God’s laws, has a penalty. It is death! Death from which there is no resurrection. We live this human life not realising that in fact we are held captive by sin. We break God’s laws with impunity we think, but unless there is repentance the end result for us is death! Then where is the freedom and liberty we talk so much about? Where is the reality that the Liberty Medals, Presidential Medals and peerages are supposed to recognise?

The apostle Paul wrote of people who surreptitiously joined with the disciples to find out what gave them a true freedom and to, as Paul puts it, bring them into bondage. In Galatians 5:13 he writes: “For, brethren, you have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

John Jewell