A Prescription to Soothe One's Wounds; J. Sparks

The advocate of freedom in the United States, or in any land where the government officials are elected by the democratic process, Mr. Sparks is an executive of an Ohio manu facturing company and a frequent contributor to The Freeman. bringing to the scaffold that day ,~hatever of dignity and decency the fading moments of a wasted Hfe could summon. That much ... and also that he managed to utter one brief legacy of truth, namely That our liberty and freedom consist in having those laws by which our lives and goods may be most our own! , 04 <:Pre6cripti,," to Soothe JOHN C. SPARKS is aware of the difficulty of remov ing this authoritarian tendency even in democracies. To remove totali tarianism from a democracy, the relatively few who understand why individuals should be free to make their own decisions must be able to persuade the majority of voters to the freedom point of view. To achieve such a mission may take generations, if not cen turies. Small wonder that the 80 THE FREEMAN hopes and efforts of those who love freedom often end in frus tration.

The purpose here is not to di vert attention from the main event. To work toward a wider understanding of the exci ting freedom philosophy is of prime importance. But instead of being frustrated, let the seeker of free dom know there is an area of open opportunity to practice the basic tenets of his philosophy without hindrance: in his personal affairs. And to the extent that he suc ceeds, the rewards are most grati fying. Suppose our freedom advocate is a family man with a wife and children. How easy and natural it would be for him to assume the role of the tyrant or dictator in , his· family, while fully intending to be kind and beneficent. As the total ruler of this" small kingdom, his word is la'.¥, applying repeat edly to the actions of his wife, sons and daughters. Picture the stifling effect on the potential creativity of those under his thumb, as well as an absence of real love of the subjected for their ruler.

Such an atmosphere is bound to affect adversely the well-being and health of the family tyrant. Imag ine the heavy and continuous re sponsibility of making major and minor decisions, not just for one person, but for two, three, four: or five. The burden would be heavy - and the results can be predicted: members of the family absent from home beyond normal reason: little genuine fun and relaxation, children secretive and reluctant to confide in the despot, turning for counselor information to sources other than the home. All of these are serious reactions, but none could be termed outward revolt. Consequently, the danger exists that the life of the tyrant of the family rolls along uninterrupted while the estrangement solidifies. One by one, as they reach adult hood, the children sever all family ties, leaving the aging tyrant in creasingly embittered that his children seem without any love or concern for him.

This same man who logically and clearly sees that excessive power given to men in government produces unhappiness for the op pressed citizens, seems wholly ob livious to those personal circum stances where he held a small amount of power as head of his family and used it badly to rule and dictate. Had he been able to see himself and apply the philos ophy of freedom to those around him in his family, his rewards would have been full beyond all expectations. Parental direction is an awe some responsibilty and should not 1974 A PRESCRIPTION TO SOOT'HE ONE'S WOUNDS 81 be abdicated. But it can be done joyfully, gently, lovingly, persua sively, to yield a lifetime of plea sure and gratification. The freedom advocate also may be in a supervisory position over employees. Again, his power can .be dispensed with, or without, abra siveness. Since his effectiveness would be adversely affected if he chooses to be an all-out tyrant boss, he may curb his tendencies to wield power ruthlessly. He may have just enough introspection to see that such action could injure his opportunities for advancement or promotion. Unless he owns his business, failure to understand and control his use of power could lead to his early dismissal. Even a business owner can ill afford to be a tyrant over his employees, although his harvest of resent ment and lost production may not be immediately apparent.

Although this advocate of free dom may discern clearly the evils of power-mad governmental officials, he may at the same time fail to perceive the similar error in the heavy-handed way he employs power personally. It is appropriate that a supervisor instruct and pro vide direction for subordinates. If he can do this in an atmosphere of freedom, he may then be able to tap the latent creativity of the people who work with him, and encourage its flow, thus enjoying the good will and well-wishes of his colleagues. From one's personal life, there fore, can come the healthful satis faction of practicing freedom among those over whom one has the power to demand submission. Freedom applied in his persona] life can do much to soothe the 'wounds of the freedom advocate as he is outraged by the oppres siveness of big government. As a :matter of fact, he may find that :minding his own business is quite :a happy and rewarding way of life. I) IDEAS ON LIBERTY Self-Development Is Our Job THE WORLD is full of problems, but most of them are man-made, and essentially unimportant. They do not belong to the eternal verities; many of them are petty side issues and not even en route to the great achievement. There is only one maj or problem in the whole world, and that is the salvation of the individual soul.

HANFORD HENDERSON J "To Find the Way Out"