Bush Library exhibit reminds us freedom matters - The Dallas Morning News

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Freedom, or our ability to make choices about our own lives, is foundational to democracies. So we must appreciate freedom to understand why democracy is a good thing.

Leaders, philosophers and great societies have long wrestled with the idea of freedom. Many conclude that liberty is a natural or God-given right reflecting our inherent dignity as humans. Some argue that it comes from social contracts between people and governments. Others believe it is a combination of those factors. But in nearly all cases, individual liberty is tempered by some sense of virtue, citizen obligation or the rule of law.

“Freedom Matters,” the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s newest exhibit, continues this exploration of liberty by highlighting the importance of freedom in building democratic societies, how the work of freedom advocates has changed the lives of millions, and what we can all learn from the study of history.

Walking in, visitors are greeted by a chorus of voices expressing views about freedom and democracy. Two quotes immediately stand out.

“What freedom means to me is everyone’s basic rights are granted equally, respectfully, and with dignity, regardless of differences,” Burmese activist Wai Wai Nu explains.

This is quickly followed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice remarking, “Human beings have tried to translate that God-given right into political rights so that we are protected from the tyranny of the state — from the arbitrary power of those who would rule us.”

The exhibit demonstrates that Americans, and all people who value freedom, need a system that will protect and nurture liberty. Democracy is the best way to do that. This thread is woven throughout the exhibit.

Don’t conflate “best” with “perfect,” though. No system is perfect, because human beings are fallible. As James Madison said, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”

Winston Churchill famously observed that, “it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Most of us have likely felt the frustration implied in his statement. Democracy can be messy, plodding and divisive. Many Americans today share widespread dissatisfaction with how their government works.

But despite its flaws, democracy provides the mechanisms for limiting government power and making it accountable to the people. Under such a system, diverse communities can thrive, exercise their rights or demand them, and seek justice without resorting to violence. Other systems are less likely to sustain or encourage that space.

For all the criticism that authoritarians in places like Beijing and Moscow throw at the United States and other free societies around the world, they still like to pretend that they’re democratic. For example, Russia’s Vladimir Putin holds sham elections. Even a totalitarian state like North Korea calls itself the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.” That’s because authoritarians know that democracy provides a sense of legitimacy — for them, the façade of a social contract with citizens — even though they don’t respect the rights or dignity of their people.

So we can be confident in the righteousness of democratic values, while being humble about our shortcomings as nations and human beings.

These sentiments of confidence and humility are captured by the exhibit, which includes a 14th-century copy of the Magna Carta and rare versions of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights, along with newspapers chronicling women’s suffrage and the Emancipation Proclamation and rare books by thinkers from John Locke to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Unlocking our inner Indiana Jones, the artifacts featured in the exhibit connect us to pivotal moments in history. They exemplify how individuals have interacted with their governments to secure liberty or have learned from those affirming innate fundamental freedoms. They also illuminate something important about our identity as Americans.

The rare 1831 print of the Declaration of Independence reminds us of who we are. The United States isn’t a country of blood and soil. Quite the opposite. It’s a nation of ideals, such as that all people are created equal with “unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” That’s a promise made to past and future generations, as well as native born or naturalized citizens.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution establish a moral home base, binding Americans together when we lose our way. Our history provides examples, as freed slaves and abolitionists used these documents to expose hypocrisy and lay their claim to those same cherished ideals. Women’s suffragists did the same, arguing that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” was not something reserved only for men.

Democracy is about recognizing inherent human dignity, protecting freedom, and maintaining social peace. And it provides the space — with steps forward, backward, and sideways — for us to strive toward a more perfect union.

Chris Walsh is Director of Freedom and Democracy at the George W. Bush Institute. He wrote this for The Dallas Morning News.

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