‘Liberty’ doesn’t always mean the same thing

I recently discovered something that President Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1864. Its relevance today is uncanny!

Lincoln wrote, “The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some, the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, liberty.”

As we are a swing state in this year's presidential election, Iowans can expect to be overwhelmed with sound bytes, many using the word liberty. At that point, maybe we should be asking: Whose liberty are you referring to? Yours or mine?

Bob Hamill

Cedar Rapids