Freedom of Speech. Express Your Independence.
In this episode of "YOUR VOICE MATTERS" (formerly "Speaking COVIDly"), Thom & Mike discuss ways that each and every one of us - no matter where we are in the world - can experience "freedom" and "independence". Basic freedoms, including the freedom of speech, are rights cherished by all in the United States of America, although, sadly, these "rights" are certainly not experienced equally by all residents of this country. We recently celebrated Independence Day in the U.S. Perhaps better known as simply "the 4th of July," this national holiday commemorates the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Independence from the British monarchy. Opening the way to becoming the representative democracy that our country is today, in all its imperfection! I, Thom Harrison, am a descendant of one of the signers of "the Declaration," Benjamin Harrison, from Virginia. The family roots go deep in this country, back to the earliest settlers in Jamestown, Virginia, where the first colony was founded in 1607, by people largely escaping religious persecution. It should be noted that while the peoples native to this land were steadily marginalized, murdered, and disenfranchised over the generations, the early settlements likely would not have survived without the assistance and collaboration of these indigenous peoples. This profound injustice and the profound injustice of slavery imposed upon people torn from their homeland in Africa to build "our" economy, speaks volumes to where we "could have been" as a nation long before now in terms of freedom for all. We can be embittered by the darkness of our past - that continues in too many ways to this very day. Or we can rise up, claim our freedom, and affect the change - leveraging all that is good and right in this country, as we do all we can to heal the wounds of time. I am a proponent for the latter. May we finally fully learn the lessons of our checkered past. Although the preamble to "the Declaration of Independence" famously states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." , there is no question that the rights spoken to in this foundational document have yet to fully be applied to ALL people in this country, not only the privileged white males (like me). Whether you live in the United States or anywhere else in the world, you can claim your freedom of speech (even if it exists now primarily as an inner freedom, a freedom of self-talk), express your independence (even if it exists now primarily as independent thought), and work to make this a better world for ALL. INTERdependence is, ultimately, what it is all about. Let's all help bring true freedom to EVERYONE! We hope you enjoy the conversation, and we'd love your feedback! Get to the purposeful life you love with Thom Harrison at https://WalkYourWhy.com/ Get to smooth speech with Mike’s self-study course at https://www.confidentspeakerssuccesssysteminfo.com/ or private coaching at https://www.thesmoothspeechsystem.com/ Subscribe to YOUR VOICE MATTERS on Soundwise
