Freedom First

From Liberty's Cradle Has Grown a Messy But Inspiring Creation

Daydreaming of freedom, one thinks of it as a clear blue light, like the frictionless intelligence of God. A sudden act: a lightning shot of electrons jumps from one still object to another and brings them both to life. Thought passes through the pure medium of freedom and accomplishes . . . creation.

That is an almighty freedom, absolute. We imitate it as we can, but human freedom is a cruder business. We sometimes manage to make the miraculous happen. But we have to work at it. Earthly freedom, where it exists, is a turbulent medium, full of rough winds and...

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