Recently, my friend and fellow BizCatalyst 360˚ columnist, John Dunia, wrote a post called, “FREEDUMB”, in which he pondered the definition of freedom and its various interpretations and applications in the United States. John and I know we stand on different sides of the political aisle. We also know we respect and care for each other. Knowing that, I wrote this in the comments:
Thank you for the post, John. It’s characteristically thoughtful and insightful.
“Freedom, by default, has limitations.” Yes. That’s why we have the Constitution, which we ignore more and more with each successive generation.
What we lack is unity. We’ve abdicated the unifying values and the uniting causes we once shared. Meyer Dolinsky knew that in 1963 when he wrote the screenplay for this episode of The Outer Limits.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in The Great Gatsby: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
In response, John wrote, “I remember Congress starting its division back in the late 90s and early 2000s, it has ramped up within the last 8 or 9 years, and it is my firm belief this can be traced back to one narcissistic individual.” Because John is John, because he knew I’d know the individual to whom he referred, and because he’s as certain of our mutual regard as I am, he went on to write this:
I can’t think of another person with whom I disagree on many points, yet I will continue to give what you say a lot of merit because I know that your thoughts are based on what you believe is best for society in general. They are not thoughts of gain, revenge, or incivility, you genuinely believe it’s for the greater good. And more importantly, you would change your thoughts if you believed something different.
I wrote back, “I suspect you may have opened the door to a conversation. I’ll leave it to Dennis to confirm that suspicion.”
And so it is that on January 27th, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, John will lead a Salon 360˚ conversation on the topic of freedom and its various interpretations and applications.
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How Do You Spell Integrity?
John consented to lead the conversation — to share his thoughts and to entertain the thoughts of others — because he’s a man of integrity. He knows the only sacred ground is the middle ground. And he knows the only way to reach that middle ground is one step, one conversation, one free expression, and one open mind at a time.
He knows those things because he knows the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
And he knows that freedom of speech optimizes its value and contributes to our freedom only when it is exercised to the fullest, reasonable extent. That’s why he’s the man to lead the Salon 360˚ conversation.
Since freedom comes with the responsibility to understand and defend it, please join us on January 27th.
