Mr. Bush concluded his inaugural address by referring to the words cast into the bronze side of the LIBERTY BELL that he is proclaiming liberty throughout the WORLD and the inhabitants thereof. Our American ancestors used the words from Leviticus to speak about our own LAND and not of the British, who were oppressing us, nor the Canadians who did it their way. We did not mean the peoples to the south of us who were being made over into quasi-Spaniards and Portuguese – and you see where this is going. He was promising liberty throughout the WORLD.

We can proclaim all we want but getting the promise delivered is a different thing. We elect leaders who promise a great deal but the delivery of the promise is often unseen and unheard of after that person is elected. In fact, we say a great deal and it is like the slogan that deflates us when it says that: When all is said and done, more is said than done.  That is a promise that is often kept. Mr. Bush was not promising security here at home but liberty throughout the world.

I think the Bush formula for world peace is a good idea but an impractical one.  If he were to focus on the job at hand and promise that in Iraq, at least, there would be liberty before American troops and their “willing collaborators” left that war torn nation, I could go along with his posturing as he assumed his second four year term as President of the United States. He was promising liberty throughout the world.

If you think about it carefully, all the representatives, senators, mayors and councilpersons who won in the last election promised a great deal but there is no mechanism that follows through and checks to see if they deliver on those promises. We can proclaim all we want but rarely see the results as advertised. That brings up another observation.  Have you ever received a box of parts to go along with erecting some machinery or toy you purchased?  Were there directions included? And, most importantly, were there ALL the parts necessary to put the device together included in the package? My answer would be a rueful, NO. I was bitten many times by such promises and marveled how I became a recidivist in response and tried all over again to get it right with the people who promised me things.

Proclaiming Liberty throughout the WORLD and securing it are two different things.  We are promised something that sounds good but while it made sense over two hundred years ago in the context of our shedding Colonial status and freedom from Great Britain, it took a great many years right down to today for us to enjoy the “guarantee” that that freedom was a guarantee AND delivered. Look around and see if what we have is Liberty. Mr. Bush has promised. Let’s see.