The true meaning of the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin regarding liberty and security has been debated since he put quill to paper in 1775.

“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety,” the founding father wrote, “deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

While historians and scholars have rarely come to agreement as to whether Franklin was referring to the actual suspension of civil liberties in the interest of protecting against potential invasions, or simply to taxes levied in order to fund defense against French and Indian attacks, the quote has taken on a universally accepted meaning in modern times: Our Constitutional rights must never be surrendered in the interest of protecting against threats, real or imagined.

A bloody path was trod to bring religious freedom to modern America. Christian martyrs and patriots secured our God-given right to Freedom of Religion with their suffering and even with their lives.  Religious freedom in America is not simply a fundamental right but a foundational one.  The settlements of the first American colonies were established in the flight from oppressive religious persecution and the struggle continued even on these shores.

The coronavirus pandemic has amped up vaccine makers, scientists and researchers to come up with a new global vaccine that would save the world from its virus-laden self. It's 'all hands on deck' and money is no object - just get it done! In the meantime, the pro-vaccine machine is already laying down a carpet bomb of propaganda to smear anyone and everyone who has something negative to say about vaccines. 

As America panics over the fear of COVID-19, authorities and companies alike are railing against the unethical practice of price gouging, or jacking up prices to unreasonable levels during times of emergency. However, regulatory gouging by overzealous elected and civic leaders is getting a free pass in the name of curtailing the spread of the virus. As a result, the First Amendment is getting hammered.

The First Amendment defines multiple rights that are being suspended due to a type of martial law being imposed around America: churches and large gatherings are being shut down, travel is being restricted and if you dare to write about the "Wuhan Virus" on any social media platform, you are attacked and branded as a xenophobic racist. When and how will full First Amendment rights be restored? - CFFS Editor

Civility in America is all but vanished. Unless is it quickly recovered, civil war could be the next major event. This is not surprising. Even in marriage breakups, divorcees routinely say that their relationship broke up after communication stopped. In civic matters, it is ever so important to maintain civil discourse. - CFFS Editor

American Association of Physicians & Surgeons is suing Rep. Adam Schiff over demanding that Twitter remove the vaccine movies Vaxxed and Shoot 'Em Up: The Truth About Vaccines. Twitter 'obeyed' Schiff and removed the videos. Schiff's actions are patently unconstitutional and the lawsuit intends to hold him accountable. - CFFS Editor

George Washington’s farewell address is often remembered for its warning against hyper-partisanship: “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.” John Adams, Washington’s successor, similarly worried that “a division of the republic into two great parties … is to be dreaded as the great political evil.”

Duplicate bills have been introduced into the House and Senate that could permanently destroy free speech as seen in memes and pictures. The CASE Act of 2019, or Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019, provides for a $15,000 fine for sharing other people's memes or pictures, which can be levied in a "Copyright Small Claims" administrative court.

“That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on.”—Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale

We can pretend that the Constitution, which was written to hold the government accountable, is still our governing document.

The reality we must come to terms with, however, is that in the America we live in today, the government does whatever it wants, freedom be damned.