Three Steps to Freedom

A Page on Freedom Number 23 ThreeStepsto Freedom THE direction of the country will be changed only as ideas are changed and as those ideas begin to affect the way people live. While most people believe that elections can alter the course of the country, that is not true. We must look elsewhere for meaningful change. Leonard Read repeatedly stressed three ways in which we could make ideas on freedom come alive. They bear our renewed attention: • First of all, you must know what you're talking about. That means self-improvement, the acquisition of knowledge and serious research to find truth. • Second, you must live what you believe. All of us know that you cannot tell people to "do as I say, but don't do as I do." The Bible is clear when it says "as a man acts so it is in his heart." • Third, when you know what you're talking about and you live what you say you believe, it is inevitable that someone will ask you why. It is a great flattery to be sincerely asked, "Why do you believe and act as you do?" At that point, you have attained the greatest responsibility. You have been asked to be a tutor.

FEE has taught these three steps through these many years-the simple facts of knowing what you're talking about, living what you say you believe, and teaching when asked, "Why?" Mastery of the first step can lead to the second, and the second to the third, and the third will have a real impact on our world. If no one is asking "why" in your life, then you should be reading The Freeman and participating in the activities at FEE. As Leonard Read would remind us: "The way is not easy, but the reward for these achievements is individual liberty and, we submit, there is no other way." , -Robert D. Love THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION, INC. IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK 10533 515 Michael Bordelon "~~~~:~~~) ~-- -~~§t,\ A ~ "Equality of opportunity, far from being a matter of settled doctrine amongst us, is a basic issue between the Liberals among us and the Con servatives among us."! As arresting as this insight by Willmoore Ken dall may be, it is nonetheless an un derstatement: the extent to which America is dedicated to "equality of opportunity" is not merely a basic difference between liberals and con servatives, it is the basic difference.