Over the weekend there was much jubilant celebration of the centenary of the 1916 Rising. Pride in our Irishness, among great and small alike, was the most frequent expression of that jubilation.
What were we really celebrating? Our nationhood and our liberty, as well as the men and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice to bequeath them to us.
It is a good thing to have public commemorations of the great events of our history, and to honour those who gave us our freedom. Such events remind us of the sacrifices that were made on our behalf and that bought our freedom. They remind us to be grateful to those who have gone before us.
And we have much for which to be grateful.
The past century was one which, although not without its problems, gave us (in Ireland at least) unprecedented peace and prosperity as well as much freedom. Compared to many parts of the world we have little about which to complain.
We have a beautiful country with a rich Christian heritage on which we can build. We have the freedom to practice our religion, usually unhindered by the state.
We are free to enjoy our culture, to educate and develop ourselves, to cultivate a rich social life, to start a family and to engage in economic activities.
For sure some things could have been better. And not everyone got to enjoy the full benefits of our independence. But overall we really have much for which to be grateful.
Now that the weekend of celebrations is over let us not forget the sacrifices of our forebears. Let us cherish the freedom that we have inherited from them, and for which they paid such a high price.
According to Thomas Jefferson:
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
While it may fall to one generation to buy freedom, even at the cost of engaging in war and the loss of their own lives, it falls to succeeding generations to hold on to that freedom, even though doing so should cost us great sacrifice too.
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Although we may not be called upon to give our lives for freedom, it is still something that is much easier to lose than to gain, or to regain if we lose it. Any lack of vigilance, however trifling it may appear, can see our precious liberty wither away.
If we really wish to honour the heroes of 1916, or any others who ever contributed to our freedom, we must preserve and even augment what they handed on to us, so that this great gift may be passed on to future generations.
How, practically, can we maintain and augment that liberty given us?
Firstly, we should not tolerate any foreign interference in what are strictly internal affairs, be it from foreign governments or international bodies such as the UN and the EU.
This is primarily the responsibility of government. But if and when the government fails to live up to that responsibility, the onus falls on the citizens to protest, to denounce, to demand.
Likewise we have to maintain vigilance over our personal, social, economic and religious freedoms. And we should oppose any undue state interference in the life of individuals, families, institutions and local communities.
Otherwise what is the point in celebrating the people who bought our freedom at the cost of their lives, unless we are going to defend it, even at the cost of our own if that were to become necessary?
