Why Character Matters in a Free Society

“Ravaged by conflict, corruption, and tyranny, the world is starving for people of character.  Indeed, as much as anything, it is on this matter that the fate of individual liberty has always depended.” – Are We Good Enough for Liberty?

Gold bars and a half million dollars in cash were found following a raid on the home of Senator Bob Menendez in 2022 after claims of bribery and corruption.  A year later, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s stock trading would earn her and her husband an unprecedented 65 percent in profits, outperforming even the largest hedge funds amid claims of insider trading.  In 2024, President Biden continued to forgive student loan debt in a vote-buying scheme, even though SCOTUS ruled it unconstitutional.    

But such vice wasn’t limited to the political class only, it was also found in the people.  In cities across America, throngs of hooded thugs descended on retailers, looting them of their merchandise to the point where stores were either closed for good or were forced to put their goods behind glass.  Climate Nazis threw more ladles of soup at more masterpieces hoping to alert the masses to their environmental scam.  A mother leaves her toddler for a ten-day vacation only to return to her starving corpse.  These examples along with an acceleration in cheating, violence, and vandalism, are just a few examples of daily lawlessness in America amid a growing collapse in civility. 

The Founders would be appalled to learn of an American populace with such an absence of moral virtue.  The very system of self-government they designed required good character at its foundation.  To be able to govern ourselves, and to live as we wish, made self-control and self-direction a necessity.  But too often the people themselves have given up responsibility for their lives.  While the government existed to protect liberty, it was the people who were to live in such a way that they would be free of government interference.  If Americans could moderate their behavior, and rule themselves, the republic would be a success.  If not, we would open the door to tyranny, and as history has shown, dishonorable men are ready to rush in. 

In Lawrence Reed’s 2013 book, “Are We Good Enough for Liberty?”, Reed drives home the importance of good character through a series of vignettes.  Since character is the sum of our choices, how we respond whether with virtue or vice will affect how long a free and open society can survive.  The American experiment itself was an exercise in self-government, unseen in history.  While rights came with citizenship, the obligations and duties of the citizens would keep America on course.  That included not only obeying laws but also adhering to the social mores of the day.  Whether through good manners, proper etiquette, or Christian morality, the Founders believed the nation would thrive like none other. 

But a country’s loss of character is also revealed in its relationship with its government.  By ceding a monstrous degree of power to a national government, we have not only given it a mandate to control more and more of our lives but also permitted ourselves to become more dependent on it.  The fact that we regularly petition the government to take from some to give to ourselves is a sure sign that we have failed the test.  In fact, in eleven states people now earn more relying on welfare than working a job.  But at the core of our grift, is more unvirtuous behavior.  Envy over those who have more, even though it was often earned through hard work, good choices, and moderate behavior.   

But the character of those in office has also changed.  Men willing to take time off from their regular work to serve their country as statesmen had no such plans to make government employment permanent.  Now, lifelong politicians are anxious to do that very thing.  Once in office, they prioritize fundraising over the needs of their constituents.  To keep the populous happy, these same bureaucrats have bankrupted the country by overspending, often at the people's direction, with neither showing any remorse nor shame, for having done so. 

Included in Reed’s book, “I, Pencil” is a short essay that reflects the growing problem of government coercion and interference.  By showing how there is no mastermind behind the creation of a simple pencil, Reed emphasizes the need for humility.  Rather than using government, experts, and institutions to centrally plan from the top down, perhaps we should recognize the benefit of allowing individuals to function cooperatively with one another in the course of their daily lives.  Economist Fredrich Hayek warned of the fatal conceit and arrogance of central planners, while another philosopher Adam Smith, revealed the beauty of the “invisible hand” that operates not by a chief controller, but by spontaneous order, when each works to achieve their own ends.

Ultimately, it is the job of the people to understand the limits of government and act when it oversteps its boundaries.  To do so, however, the citizenry must be educated in civics and know not only their rights but how the government was meant to function.  Then when the government runs afoul, it is our duty to act, whether through amendment or abolishment.  The promise that our country and countrymen could flourish under the new American experiment depended on character.  Without it, our society has and will continue to fail.