Freedom is Truth

James Bennett
04/28/2015

Freedom Is Truth
A philosopher is defined as; a person who offers views or theories on
profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields. A
philosopher has a love of knowledge and engages in critical thinking about
questions that do not have clear answers. They take issues from life and turn them
into questions that need answering. A philosopher does not settle for the easy
answer or trust others opinions as fact. Instead they come up with their own
solutions from personal experiences, or from research on similar questions.
Philosophers are known to use historical lessons in their fields of study and beliefs
so they can better help the common good of the country or the world.
For centuries there have been thousands of philosophers, from Archimedes
in the late 200s B.C.E. with his philosophies on math and engineering, to Ludwig
Wittgenstein in the early 1900s and his main philosophies on mind and language.
Philosophers offer a new way of thinking about object concepts ranging from
behavior, ethics, judgements, faith, politics, time and space, and many more.

For the sake of argument, let me ask you this, can you have freedom without
truth? Truth, is defined as being that which is the case rather than what is

manifest or assumed. It can not be what someone wants if it is contrary to what is

actually factual. Three highly influential and persuasive world leaders agree that
indeed, you can not have freedom without truth and that it must apply to everyone
equally.

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) 16th American President.

Was born to Tom and Nancy Lincoln in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He
was raised on several different farms. His father was a farmer and carpenter.
His mother died when he was nine, he was raised by his sister, until his father
remarried. He was very close to his stepmother, her name was Sally and referred
to her as his mother. His family was catholic and they were baptists. They did
not believe in drinking, dancing or slavery. Abraham did not like hard Frontier work
and prefered to read and wanted to be educated. He was mainly self-educated and
probably only attended a year or so of school. He met and married Mary Todd, she
was the daughter from a wealthy slave holding family. They had four children.
Abraham owned a general store, he fought in the Black Hawk War, he was a
postmaster and a county surveyor. Later he decided to become a lawyer and was
admitted to the Bar in 1832, he practiced law in Springfield, Illinois for sixteen

years. Historian James Oakes wrote that for Lincoln there was nothing higher
than the rule of law, without which there could be no real freedom.
His political career began in 1832 when he ran for the Illinois General Assembly.
He served successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives and then one
term in the U.S. House of Representatives. As part of the Whig party he ran for
the United States Senate. He was instrumental in forming the Republican Party.

Abraham had a great reverence for the Declaration of Independence and he

based his political principles on it. He believed in freedom, truth, justice and equal
opportunity. He was considered an abolitionist, because he saw slavery as
antithetical to the principles of these founding fathers. Wanting to save the Union
from those who wanted to secede from it; he announced his intent to run for
President of the United States of America. He ran against Dem. Steven Douglas.
He won by popular vote and was elected on November 6, 1860. It was said that

Abraham Lincoln was not only a moral leader; he was also a political philosopher
and an economic realist. He felt that was the cure for the country.

In 1860 the eleven Southern States declared secession from the Union to
form the Confederate States to preserve slavery. On April 12, 1861 the
Confederate Army attacked Fort Sumter near Charleston in North Carolina, and

than the American Civil War began. President Lincoln said that dismantling the
Union could not be tolerated. He saw the country through its darkest hour as
commander and chief and leaded the Union Soldiers through the bloody Civil War.
He won the re-election by a landslide in 1864. Through loyalty, bravery, and
conviction the Union won the war on April 9, 1865. Later that same year, John
Wilkes Booth, a well known spy for the Confederates, assassinated President
Lincoln at the Fords Theater. He was taken to the Petersen House after been
shot in the head on April 15th.

The truth of The Gettysburg Address. President Abraham Lincolns

philosophy of freedom, will long resonate in the fibers of every American citizen.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a
new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are
created equal.
Abraham Lincoln

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Winston was born to Lord Randolph Churchill (7th Duke of Marlborough) and
Lady Randolph Churchill (an American Heiress) in a bedroom in Buckingham Palace,
England. The family moved to Dublin, Ireland where his grandfather had been
appointed Viceroy. During this time Winstons brother, John Strange Churchill, was
born in Ireland. When their parents were frequently away they were looked after
by his nanny Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Everest, to whom he was especially close to; she
became his nurse, confidante and stand-in mother. The Governesses tried to teach
Winston reading, writing, and arithmetic. He hated math but enjoyed history,
writing and art. He received poor grades in school and was kicked out of several
private schools. As a teen, he developed a stutter and lisp; which followed him for
a large portion of his life. He took many speech therapy classes to try and improve
his ability to speak smoothly and clearly. His father died young, and so he too felt
that he would so he should hurry and make his mark in the world.

Despite his educational challenges, Winston lead a very full life. He married
his wife, Clementine in 1908 and they had five children. He studied at the Royal
Military College and was trained for the Calvary. He served in the British Army
and quickly moved through the ranks using his mothers influence. Ultimately he
was promoted to Colonel In Chief (usually reserved for members of the Royal

Family). He wrote as a wartime correspondent for several London newspapers and

wrote his own books on numerous campaigns.

In 1900 he ran for Parliament and won the seat of Oldham. He joined the
conservative party and stood against Englands military expenditures and extensive
tariffs. He supported free trade. Not supported by the conservatives, he crossed
the floor and became part of the liberal party. He set up the first minimum wage
and labor exchanges and unemployment in Britain. He tried to suggest a solution
for womens suffrage but was unable to get it passed. In 1911 he was appointed
First Lord of the Admiralty and served through WWI. He was tasked with going
to the Persian Gulf to secure oil that Britain needed to operate their battleships
and submarines. During WWI he was a stanch supporter of Allied Forces
intervention in the Russian Civil War and intervened in the Irish War of
Independence. In 1824 he rejoined the Conservative Party. He oversaw Britain's
disastrous return to the gold standard and later felt it was the worst mistake of
his life as it depressed the industries. In 1829 he lost re-election, it was the low
point of his career, and known as the wilderness years. During this time, he warned
of Nazi Germany.

In 1932 communism was sweeping through Europe. Churchill accepted the

presidency of the New Commonwealth Society. He was convinced that Germany
could not be allowed to rearm (after losing in WWI). Britain was alone in opposing
Nazi Germany in the early part of the war. He was steadfast in the belief that
Britain needed to lead. Speaking in the House of Commons in 1937, Churchill said,
"I will not pretend that, if I had to choose between communism and Nazism, I
would choose communism." Even with growing concerns Britain was still anti-war.
On September 3, 1939 there was little choice and Britain declared War against
Germany. Churchill proved to be one of the highest-profile ministers during the
so-called. Phony war In 1940, Germany invaded France and Churchill was
recommended to be named the Prime Minister of Britain. He warned the people
that they were in for a long war. Churchill refused to ally with Hitler and thus
preserved the resistance of the British Empire and would later be the basis for
the Allied counter attack. in 1941 the Battle of Britain waged. Just before it
began he gave a speech that will long last, Upon this battle depends the survival of
Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity
of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must
very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island
or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of

the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the
whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and
cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and
perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore
brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and
its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest
hour. Churchill and President F. D. Roosevelt had very good relationship. He was
also friends with former President Harry Truman. In 1944, Allied Forces stormed
Normandy and pushed the Nazis back to Germany. WWII ended on May 8, 1945.
Churchill resigned as Prime Minister on May 23, 1945. He returned and served a
short second term as Prime Minister from 1951-1952. He focused on domestic
issues, colony issues, US relations, the Korean War and the Iron Curtain of
Soviet influence.

He suffered strokes in 1949 and 1956 and his health declined quickly. There
was speculation that he may have suffered from Alzheimer's as well. He died at
his home at the age of 90 in 1965. His state funeral was the largest in the world
up to that point with representatives from 112 countries.

Winston Churchill held 24 political offices in his tenure in British Politics.

In 1945 he won the Nobel Peace Prize in literature. Queen Elizabeth II made him a
Knight. In 1958 the BBC conducted a poll on the 100 greatest Britons of all time
and he ranked number one. In 1963 he was made an honorary citizen of the United
States.

Churchill reflected broadly and deeply on the political issues of his own day
in both the domestic and international spheres. He was proud of his convictions
that were derived from American Constitutionalism.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century,
Winston Churchill was a crusader for freedom.
Winston Churchill

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) 40th American President

Ronald was born to Nelle Clyde and John Reagan on February 6, 1911 in a
small apartment in the town of Tampico, Illinois. His father was a salesman and a
storyteller, and his mother was a stay at home mom. Ronald had a older brother,

Neil Reagan. During his early life his family moved to many different cities in
Illinois including; Monmouth, Galesburg, and Chicago. Then later returning to
Tampico for the rest of his childhood. According to Paul Kengar, author of God and

Ronald Reagan, Ronald had a particularly strong faith in the goodness of people.

Later in Ronalds life he relocated to Iowa. He got a job at the University of Iowa,
where he was a sports radio broadcaster. He moved to California and was the
announcer for the Cubs. He got a 7 year contract with Warner Brothers; but his
acting career didn't really take off till his role in Love Is On the Air. By the end
of his acting career in 1939 he had starred in 19 films.

Ronald took at home Army Extension courses and enlisted in the United
States Air Force as a Private in 1937. He was assigned to the 322nd Cavalry in Des
Moines, Iowa. Ronald quickly made his way through the ranks and was promoted to
Second Lieutenant. When WWII began, he was ordered to active duty.
Unfortunately he was quickly taken off active duty because of his poor eyesight,
and was ordered to limited service. Due to the demotion, he transferred to the
Armed Air Force. The AAF assigned him to the public relations department. While
in the AAF he made over 400 training videos for the army and was promoted to
Captain.

Ronald was adamantly against communism. Ronald said, "I never as a citizen
want to see our country become urged, by either fear or resentment of this group,
that we ever compromise with any of our democratic principles through that fear
or resentment." During 1940, Ronald and his wife, Jane Wyman worked for the
FBI by giving them names of people in Hollywood whom they believed to be
communist sympathizers.

In the 1950s his movie roles became far and few between. He turned to TV
and starred on General Electric Theater and Death Valley Days. His marriage to
Jane ended in 1949. He met Nancy Davis and they later married in 1952. They had
four children and adopted one other.
Ronald Reagan began his political career as a democrat however changed
parties after meeting Nancy who was a republican. He began to support
conservative views after his time on the General Electric Theater. He believed in
free markets, anticommunism, lower taxes, and limited government. Ronald ran for
California Governor and was elected in 1967.

After serving nine years, he ran for US President in 1980 against President
Jimmy Carter. He was the oldest man to date to be elected to the White House at

69 years old. While giving his inaugural speech, his presidency was kick-started
when Iran released 52 US hostages. Reagan pursued policies that reflected his
personal belief in individual freedom. He tried unsuccessfully to amend the
constitution to allow prayer in school saying, It would restore the simple freedom
of our citizens to offer prayer in public schools and institutions." In 1981 John
Hinckley Jr. opened fire on President Reagan. Hinckley was motivated to do this
because he wanted to catch actress Jodie Fosters attention in an unsuccessful
attempt to try and woo her. He was the first US President to survive an
assassination attempt. After this incident, his poll ratings sored in American
support to 73%. According to the Catholic Exchange (08), Reagan believed that
God had spared his life so that he might go on to fulfill a greater purpose.
Throughout his presidency he was challenged by the Air Traffic Controllers Strike,
rising taxes, interest rates and inflation (Reaganomics), Lebanese Civil War,
Grenada, the Challenger Explosion, the War on Drugs, the Libya Bombing, the IranContra Affair and Star Wars. He persuaded East Germany to tear down the Berlin
Wall. He would be best known for being the Commander and Chief during the Cold
War with Russia and the Nuclear Arms Race. His Peace through Strength policy
increased defense spending by forty percent. He ordered a massive buildup of
American Armed Forces. President Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret

Thatcher agreed that Russias Communist Ideology was contrary to Western

Democracy. Reagan predicted, "The forward march of freedom and democracy will
leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history."

In 1983 Russian fighters bombed Korean Flight 007, killing 269 people
including Georgia Congressman Larry McDonald. Reagan said to the world, Russia
had turned against the world and called them an evil empire. The US would give
aid to anti-communist resistance movements. American and Russia both had
hundreds of nuclear bombs aimed at each other and people were very afraid of
threatened nuclear strikes. He introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI),
also known as Star Wars, which would protect the US from nuclear missile strikes.
This worried Russia enough that David Gergen, former aide to President Reagan,
believes that in retrospect, SDI hastened the end of the Cold War. After
leaving office, he and Nancy returned to California. Ronald Reagan was diagnosed
with alzheimers disease in 1994. He died from pneumonia in his Bel Air home after
fighting the disease for ten years.

President Ronald Reagan was known as the great communicator and believed
in freedom through strength. His philosophy could be summarized in this quote,

We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared,

so we will always be free.
Ronald Reagan
Many people have been unable to accept truth throughout history. They
have strived to oppress those that would argue or disagree with their own
interpretation of truth; going so far as to re-write history in order to agree with
the truth that they can except. Caligula, Mugabe, Zedong, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin,
Hirohito, and Hussein, were only a few who believed that people could not be free
to choose what truths to believe in. Through observation, research, trial and
history, President Lincoln, Prime Minister Churchill and President Reagan all
believed, and fought for and maintained that free people should be able to choose
from a multitude of sources to acquire truth and apply it to their own individual
circumstances; it should not be dictated to them by their governments.

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