“Agriculture, Manufacture, Commerce, and Navigation, the four Pillars of our Prosperity, are the most thriving when left to individual Enterprise.” – Thomas Jefferson

“There are more Instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent Encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” – James Madison

Individual enterprise, as Thomas Jefferson noted, was the foundation for the pillars of American prosperity two centuries ago. In fact, it was largely the enterprise of individuals and organizations seeking private gain, or profit, that spurred the founding of the colonies in the century before the break with England.

Every school child knows that the Revolution was a struggle for freedom. What is often overlooked is that one of the basic liberties for which the colonies fought was the freedom of enterprise – the freedom to develop without the economic constraints imposed by England.

In the two hundred years of America’s growth, freedom of enterprise has been tightly interwoven with our other basic freedoms. It has provided a unique climate for invention, for innovation and for competition that has allowed our people to achieve an unparalleled living standard. In short, it was and is the most effective, efficient economic system ever devised.

Now however, we hear increasing calls for constraints on our economic freedom. Calls for more government controls, more government regulations, more government restrictions. Many are directed at the energy business, but they have implications for all business, indeed for all Americans.

Ironically, the people who seek to inhibit economic freedom are often the ones who cry the loudest for other kinds of liberties. They do not accept the fact that all our freedoms are woven into the same cloth, and if one is weakened, the others will be weakened also.

Now, at this special time in our history, Americans should remember that our freedoms are inseparable. Freedom of enterprise is essential to our economic growth and well being, to create more and better jobs, more energy, more security – and the capital that they demand. Furthermore, this same freedom of enterprise can generate the funds needed to continue the impressive social progress achieved in recent years.

The more we study history, the more we will respect the wisdom of the men who founded this country. They knew that freedom was both priceless and fragile. And they told us to treat it with great care. That is America’s heritage and challenge.

These were the words of Continental Oil Company in observance of their Centennial in Life magazine in 1975 . My brother and I found this magazine recently at my parents house in a stack that my dad had put away about 30 years ago.  When we read the ad, we both immediately thought the same thing.  This could have been written in 2009.

Reading this statement deepens my belief that the struggle for freedom is a constant.  In 1975 we had a different President, different members of Congress and our country had different enemies.  The unemployment rate was 9.2% and it was also the year that doctors went on strike in the U.S. for the first time because of intolerable working conditions.  This was written 34 years ago, but the struggle for freedom and liberty was the same.  Our Founding Fathers knew that the country they created was unique and great, but that it would only be preserved under the will of the people.  Too many in this country take our liberty for granted and don’t understand that, when manipulated, it can be taken away.

We now have a Democratic controlled Congress ready to push through health-care reform bills, environment bills, energy bills and bills concerning our military and national security without any transparency or debate.  This Congress combined with a President whose greed for power makes him ready to sign anything that will give the government more control and more money, is a dreadful mix for our country.  Those in power will say anything to push their agenda on the American people.  It is up to us to make sure that it doesn’t happen.

Our generation needs to understand that our struggle for freedom and prosperity will set the example for the next generation. We will pass liberty and freedom to them and they will then have to fight to preserve it because there will always be the “silent encroachment of those in power” trying to take it away.