Free Agency:
“We have therefore need to pray that God will lead us and make us taught of God, that is, ready to learn from God; and will Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our hearts; otherwise there is no hope for us.” i
-Martin Luther (Concerning Christian Liberty)
When you build a house, the second thing you do is build the frame. The first is lay a foundation. Why would anyone think that the creation of the universe could be anything different? There had to be a foundation and a frame, else no structure can be placed. If this is true of a building, how much more must it be true of the universe at large?
Without a foundation and without a frame, the universe cannot be, let alone expand or have any structure. Thus, there must be a foundation and there must be a frame; and the frame, it seems, is natural law. The same might be said about everything within the universe. Creatures cannot be without a foundation and a frame. Individuals cannot act without a foundation and a frame, be the frame moral law or instinct.
Societies cannot thrive without a foundation and a frame, whether that frame is civil law written on a page or perfect reason written on the heart.
The team arrived at the center in their black van and Huddles rushed Senator Hardin inside. The police force was already in place, and like clockwork, so was Zack. All parties knew that Melissa had been there, but it was unclear as to whether or not she planned to finish what she couldn’t before. There was more to consider this time around. First, Melissa might have been somewhere waiting like a lioness on the hunt. Second, the security was higher here than it had been anywhere else. If Zack needed to neutralize a threat to the senator, he would give away his location and the police were looking for him just as they were looking for Melissa; and here they also had rifles pointed in every direction.
Click, click, he shifted the bipod in place. Slide, click, click, he inserted the magazine and locked a bullet into the chamber. Every step mattered and by now it had become an instinctive sequence. Pop, Zack used his thumb to pull the safety switch and lock the trigger. There would be no accidental discharge, especially today.
Two hours until the debate began. Zack walked to the edge of the roof he was on and peered over the side. He could see the top of the Peace Center and most of the hotel on the other side of that. He saw the officers on the peace center facing each direction and others with binoculars scanning the buildings for suspicious activity. He only hoped that they would not send one to where he was.
He watched as cars began to fill the parking lot and a throng of people gathered, waiting for the doors to open. Who knew so many people would be interested in seeing the political hot shots of the day bickering and fighting with one another over current political issues. There were more people here than at any concert Zack had seen. It’s like no one imagined that political issues would be different during the term of the next president.
The doors opened and the people shuffled into the center. Zack turned and there was a man that he did not recognize standing next to his rifle looking down the sights of a handgun that was pointed right at him.
“Don’t,” the man urged.
This man was not wearing a officer’s uniform and did not identify himself as a cop, “Who are you?” Zack asked as he raised his hands to about the height of his shoulders.
Should she expose the president, or not? If Melissa chose not to turn in the video then someone else probably would. Surely this Brent guy wouldn’t give her the only copy, and at this point her sister’s life depended on it; but she couldn’t leave at this moment. Security was too tight.
Melissa opened the window curtains just enough to see what was going on. The parking lot was full and security was active. Out of the corner of her eye, she even saw two people atop the news building on the other side of the center. Curious as to why someone would be there, Melissa retrieved her binoculars and looked.
First she saw Zack with his hands raised, then Brent pointing a gun at him. What was the connection? Would Zack, the innocent man she framed, now die because she couldn’t follow through well? Not if she could do anything about it! Of course, if she let Brent finish what he seemed to be doing, then she wouldn’t have to worry about Zack hunting her any longer. It would simplify her problem, but she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. Plus, every cause brought about some kind of effect.
The former detective quickly took the pillows and tied them around the barrel end of her rifle and took aim. As she looked through the scope, she noticed that Zack had somehow disarmed Brent and they were now fighting. Brent landed a hit that sent Zack to his knees. This was her chance. She placed her finger on the trigger, pushed the safety off, breathed out and squeezed.
The candidates inside readied themselves for the debate. Much like the universe at large, debates required both a foundation and a frame. The debate structure in many of these public debates didn’t seem to facilitate much fruitfulness. Huddles and the preacher found their seats and watched as the mediator from one of the national news networks opened the debate.
“Welcome,” he said charismatically, “Before us are the final remaining candidates for this party and this will be the last debate before primary elections and the two issues before us today are government role in education and the role of the law in the American political system. Governor Terry, you will receive the first question: What role do you think the government should play in public education?”
“Well,” the governor started, “I think most of us up here are in agreement that the government needs to step back.
Where we deviate is on how government needs to limit its role and no doubt recent events with the Bellicosus case have caused the entire nation to think about it. The opposing side will argue that the Elliot Plan is necessary because we need to be able to compete in a world market, but I think it would vastly limit the ability of our students to assess the world critically and cripple their creative facilities. I am an advocate of a completely independent public school system. We train our teachers according to certain standards and then don’t trust them when it comes to what is taught in the classroom. That’s insane, any person can follow the instructions and be a teacher according to the plan Senator Elliot is going to propose. Less qualification means less pay for teachers and less investment for our students. It’s a lose-lose especially in a world context.”
“Thank you, Governor,” the mediator nodded, “How would you respond to that, Senator Hardin?”
“I’m not sure I’d go as far as my friend, Governor Terry. Structure seems to be the key to freedom and the question I would ask is: What is going to enable the greatest degree of liberty for the people of this country? Civil liberty requires framework, else we fall into a disrepaired anarchy. Since we do not live in heaven where the law is written on our hearts, we sign bills to provide that framework; but as I have mentioned many times before, a government must sign laws that are only fulfilled as freedom is achieved and a government micromanaging any system, especially education, is an insult to personal freedom. I would include the micro management of health care, marriage and gun ownership into that category. We have done a pretty good job of insulting the liberty described in our own constitution and argued for by philosophers like John Locke who had a direct influence in the drafting of that constitution. We must return to a focus on what it means to truly have liberty in this nation.”
The mediator gestured toward Mr. Despot, who was waiting impatiently and tapping his foot on the ground quite roughly, “Mr. Despot, your thoughts?”
“Yeah. The problem with our government is that it’s afraid to take control. We’ve got a bunch of people in office who are afraid to do what it takes. What we need to do is build a wall and kick everybody out who doesn’t like freedom. Then we teach our kids about freedom!”
There was a faint sound of a gun being fired from outside. The audience winced and Despot continued, “And it won’t be long until the people don’t fear us anymore and just fire guns when and wherever they want!” He pointed all five fingers at the audience.
Many people applauded and the mediator laughed, “Thanks Mr. Despot. We are going to have to suspend the rest of this debate while our security team investigates. We are going to have our candidates go to the back into our safety area and the audience remain seated. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.”
Zack heard the shot and looked up from the cement roof as Brent fell lifeless in front of him. There were two options, either the police saw him or it was Melissa. If it was the police, they would be up any minute to arrest him. In a panic, Zack disassembled his rifle and placed it in his backpack. He ran into the news building to find a place to hide until his team signaled.
He found a room where he could look out of a window to see what was happening. Officers were scattering. They didn’t appear to know where the shot came from. He saw men rushing to the hotel and into the news building with their guns drawn. They did not fire the shot, which means Melissa had a chance to shoot him and correct her mistake, but she did not.
Perhaps she was just as much of a pawn has he was; as all were in varying degrees on this earth.
At least those who had not been accused of breaking the law could live freely within the confines of that law.
Perhaps this is what Senator Hardin kept talking about. The law creates a structure for liberty to thrive in a world where reason is imperfect. He kept saying that one day the perfect law would be written on people’s hearts, but in this sinful world people needed it on paper.
“Clear!” he heard faintly from the hallway outside the room he found. Zack hid his bag, made sure the door was locked and sat as silently as he could against the wall next to the door, and he did so briskly. He would have hidden, but this room was bare. He listened as intently as possible as the officers went from room to room. “Clear,” one would say.
Then he would hear the shuffle of several pairs of footprints. At least now he would be arrested for something he actually did. It wasn’t long ago that Zack remembered getting into a fight in high school because he had a friend that chose the type of liberty that Hardin described and now he would be arrested for pursuing the same type of freedom. Back then; he opposed the greatest friend he ever had because he cared only to be accepted by others. Now he fought for the freedom his friend tried so desperately to convince him of. Perhaps it was that exchange in high school that sent him spiraling down this path: Cause and effect.
“Click,” it sounded like on of the officers tried to turn the doorknob. “Locked,” he said softly. Another voice, one that was more authoritative, came from the other side of the door and Zack stopped breathing, “Federal agents, we are coming in!”
Zack listened as what sounded like a key slid into the door handle and the knob began to turn. He swallowed and his heart began to beat even more rapidly. Perhaps they wouldn’t see him.
The door shot open and four men with guns stormed the room. “Don’t move!” one shouted as he aimed his rifle directly at Zack.
Zack lifted his hands, “Don’t shoot!”
A man in a suit entered the room and turned on the light, “Zack Bellicosus?”
Zack drew a deep breath, “Yes,” he exhaled.
The man didn’t reply, but started looking around the almost empty room. When he found Zack’s bag, he picked it up and looked inside. After zipping it back up, he handed it to Zack and said, “Come with us.”
No cuffs? No disarming? To say that Zack was confused would be an understatement. “Wait…” he said hesitantly, “What’s happening?”
“We will fill you in on everything,” the man said, “All we need is for you to follow us.”
Zack stood up. Not knowing what else to say, he just spoke what was on his mind, “You might want to check the roof first.”