A 2026 Resolution and Thoughts on Freedom and Liberty

Going back 250 years ago, our forefathers declared that all men are created equal by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This phrase embodied, in theory, the concepts of freedom and liberty as they existed in 18^th century America but how those concepts evolved in our Constitution and our laws is the real story of the great American experiment

Since 1776, what freedom and liberty mean in our society has unfolded through times of peace and times of civil unrest and war. The pursuit of Jefferson’s concept of freedom and liberty was first embodied in the Bill of Rights proposed in 1789 and adopted in 1791. Those amendments to our Constitution ensured citizens (at least white male citizens at the time) would enjoy freedom from negative acts by the government such as freedom to exercise religious beliefs, to have a free press, to exercise free speech, to assemble peacefully and to be free from unwarranted search and seizure by the government. For generations Americans argued and fought over these rights particularly as to whom they would apply. It took many generations for these rights as well as the right to vote to be extended to persons of color and women — at least in law if not in spirit. Finally, the adoption of the 14^th amendment after the Civil War ensured persons who were born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States. The 14^th amendment also guaranteed that the government could not deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process.

Today we are again faced with the fundamental question of how the concepts of freedom and liberty should be incorporated into our laws, the actions of our government and how we act as a civil society. Our federal government appears dysfunctional as Congress is bitterly divided and cannot fulfill its constitutional role. The Executive branch ignores the Constitution as well as adopted laws in the exercise of its power. Each day it seems that concepts of basic fairness and due process are being ignored by the government. Also, no one in the federal government and particularly in Congress appears to take the looming debt crisis seriously. Instead, Congress continues to rob future generations of their right to the pursuit of happiness by leaving them with a crushing amount of debt to repay. And finally, did many go to Washington DC to get rich? The amount of corruption, both legal and illegal in our federal government, is both staggering and depressing. These observations are not confined to the current administration as many also apply to prior administrations.

So, where does all this leave us 250 years removed from our beginnings as a nation? Whether you are a democrat, republican or neither the import of defining and defending our liberties (and balancing those with societal responsibility), our freedom from wrongful government action and our freedom to pursue our right to act, speak and think without undue restraint (like yelling fire in a theater, slander etc) remains of paramount importance. We must be able to listen to opposing views (even those that may offend us) without censorship. We need to protect the right to peacefully assemble to air grievances or advocate for new or different policies. Each of us should be able to have an equal weight in our right to vote without unreasonable access restrictions and free of improper gerrymandering by either party. We should have a government that fulfills its constitutional duties and honors the bill of rights. We need members of Congress to adopt a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution. It should have been long ago but better late than never. Finally, we need our government to remain a beacon of hope for all those striving to live in a free and democratic society.

As you can see, these comments reflect an angst about what our federal government is either doing or failing to do and where we are going as a nation. Let’s hope and pray that as a nation we do better in 2026!

Locally, however, I believe Redmond is on a very positive track going forward. As a city, we try to take a balanced approach in the use of our financial resources as well as in the imposition of fees and charges. Redmond is a very welcoming community, but we also have a profound respect for the rule of law as well as the obligations and rights set forth in the constitution. In that light, I wish you a Happy New Year.

This article appears in the Source January 29, 2026.