Independence and freedom

by Mary Fahnestock-Thomas, Hamilton

Are independence and freedom the same thing?

Loretta Lynn has died at age 90. What a woman! And I didn’t even know about her song “The Pill,” from 1975, celebrating that she finally had some control over her own body. Apparently it still isn’t played much on country music stations because some people take it as an attack on family values.

Being a family sort of person myself, and also one who looks things up, I found this: “Several well-known online dictionaries define ‘family values’ as the following: ‘the moral and ethical principles traditionally upheld and passed on within a family, as fidelity, honesty, truth, and faith.’”

Goodness, what a lot of flexibility! Fidelity to self or someone else or both? How does that work? Honesty even about what we’re feeling? Truth about what we want and don’t want? What we believe and don’t believe? Faith to principles or religions? Whichever ones we believe to be right? 

Good thing God gave us brains!

Loretta and I would likely vote differently on some things, but we both value personal independence, which to me means freedom. And we both value respect and dignity for the individual.

Please vote; please vote independently, not simply straight party line, and please vote for individuals whom you respect and trust.