Which would you choose? What does this say about us? "Family and safety, or principles and freedom?

2019-10-16T12:42:46-04:00

Background: I teach South Carolina History to 8th graders. We're in the Revolutionary War in SC. I'm showing them the story of Captain Henrich "Henry" Felder, a Patriot militia leader in Orangeburg, in the movie "All For Liberty" (available on Amazon Prime). I'll later show them "The Patriot". Both movies deal with a question: "What of my family? Do I endanger their lives for my principles?" (asked in "All For Liberty") or "What of your principles Father?" "I'm a parent, I haven't the luxury of principles." (convo in "The Patriot")

In a viewing guide for the students, I asked them "What would you choose? Family or Principles/beliefs? Safety or freedom?" And to those that ask questions about it out loud, about 20 out of 40, every one of them has said "I'd keep my family safe." I get it, they're 8th graders. And I'm sure many of us who've served would say "principles of liberty and freedom". Though I myself certainly feel Mel Gibson's character's view, having two young sons, and must confess I don't know which I would choose.

So, which would you choose? Why? What does this say about us as military members? And what do their answers combined with ours say about America and her future? Are the ones who lean toward "principles" silent? What makes someone say "principles" or "family"?

What makes someone change between the two?

References
https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/01/all-for-liberty/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXWQlPQZ59Q (Mel Gibson's The Patriot: An Historian's View)

All For Liberty - Journal of the American Revolution

Revolutionary War films are a rarity. Good ones are as scarce as hens teeth. All For Liberty is a great one. In the past...

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 16 at 2019 12:46 PM

2019-10-16T12:46:55-04:00

Family and Safety... Your principles are meaningless if you have them in the rubble of all the things you loved and lost. Principles don't love you. They don't hug you or say "I love you daddy". Family is the whole point of everything. You have nothing if it costs you your family. The freedom to bury and mourn your loved ones? Yeah, you can keep that. Life without substance and meaning is pointless.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Oct 16 at 2019 12:48 PM

2019-10-16T12:48:08-04:00

Principle and freedom.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Oct 16 at 2019 12:51 PM

2019-10-16T12:51:05-04:00

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member: I Thank You so Very Kindly; Sir: for mentioning my name!

Response by SGT Chris Stephens made Oct 16 at 2019 12:59 PM

2019-10-16T12:59:29-04:00

While family is the most important thing, would you choose that over the freedoms that we have. If you look at countries around the world, if you don't have freedom and principles, your family and safety isn't guaranteed either. This family and safety notion follows along the path that the government knows what's best for us and that they should be involved in every aspect of our lives.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2019 1:31 PM

2019-10-16T13:31:02-04:00

The fallacy is in thinking that I cannot serve them both, that for my family’s safety I must abandon my principles of liberty. I submit that adhering to those principles keeps my family safe.

Response by PO1 Don Gulizia made Oct 16 at 2019 1:39 PM

2019-10-16T13:39:08-04:00

The reason "most of us" would choose Freedom and Principles is because we grew up in a time when war was always somewhere else. Your Revolutionary War examples puts the fighting in our front yard. With that in mind, I would choose family and safety, as long as I had young children at home. Since my youngest is 15, I would be able to have the "luxury of principles" in about a year as long as I could find a safe place for my wife.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Oct 16 at 2019 10:41 PM

2019-10-16T22:41:43-04:00

How about a follow up question for your discussion. You discover that your older brother is selling drugs manufactured by a local gang to other kids in the neighborhood. You read a report in the newspaper that a locally manufactured drug has caused three deaths and police are concerned that use is spreading and there will be more deaths. You've tried to convince your brother to stop what he is doing. For purposes of the discussion, we are going to remove your option of going to your parents and leave you with two choices. You know that there will be anguish in your family if your brother's activities are made public, so for the sake of your family, you say nothing to anyone; or, You realize that what your brother is doing endangers not only the kids who buy the drugs, but subjects your family to possible violence, so you report your brother to the police because you are concerned about the public good.