Freedom's challenge is a challenge to every individual who lives in freedom. Freedom's challenge is to be willing to build and maintain a wall of laws and rights established in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Freedom's challenge is not only to value our individual freedoms but to respect the freedoms of others.

Individuals should exercise their right to vote for leaders in regular, free, fair and competitive elections. They should be willing to work, fight and die if need be, for their freedoms. There should be an individual willingness to work for the good of the community. They should be good citizens, giving of themselves unselfishly to help the innocent, needy and unfortunate. There should be a strong individual moral standard that dictates the way they behave and how they allow others to behave when it jeopardizes the freedoms already established. Individuals should be willing to protect their communities from selfish interest groups who have their own private agendas that would infringe on the freedoms of others.

In times past, people built walls to fortify their cities from outside attacks. Individuals came together and agreed to live, work and fight as a community against any entity which would threaten their communal rights and freedoms. When our nation was formed, a metaphorical wall was built when our Constitution and Bill of Rights were passed. These laws protect our individual and collective rights and freedoms. When the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed by enemy nations, the community bound together to rebuild and re-establish the walls. Individuals worked with a trowel in one hand and a sword at their side. They were willing to work and fight to rebuild the walls that protected their families, lives, possessions and their right to exist as a nation.

Freedom's challenge is not to only value individual freedoms but to respect the freedom of others. The First Amendment gives the right to worship freely, freedom of speech and press, the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for change. This means that even if an individual disagrees with another's religious beliefs, things that the press may have to say on issues, or peaceful protesters against our government's policies, they must respect the freedoms of others to do so. The First Amendment is a shield that protects religious views and a free press that often offends some in the process of informing many.

One definition of challenge is to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties. Every individual living in freedom must rise to the difficulties presented them. Sometimes these struggles are from within, battling with personal opinions and beliefs vs. respecting the freedoms of others. Sometimes the struggles are from without, opposing nations and extreme groups which would come against our great nation and everything it stands for. The walls are in place to protect our freedoms. Many of our forefathers have given of their time, efforts and even their lives blood to build these walls protecting our freedoms. Freedom's challenge is to maintain and protect these walls from within and without.