There Might Be a Light: Liberty Toastmasters on the Responsible Exercise of Freedom

On Monday, November 13, 2023, Kim Monson welcomed Liberty Toastmasters members into the studio for a special broadcast exploring what it means to exercise freedom responsibly. Jay Morrison, president of Liberty Toastmasters Denver, joined alongside Rick Rome, Greg Morrissey, Terri Goon, Dave Walden, and 88 Drive-In Theater owner Susan Kochevar to examine the moral and civic dimensions of liberty. Free Speech and Entrepreneurship Under Siege Start listening at 59:44 – Hour 2 Susan Kochevar, owner of 88 Drive-In Theater, joined Kim in studio to discuss threats to free speech and small business. She highlighted the importance of allowing even objectionable speech, noting that the protests supporting Hamas reveal the intentions of those who oppose American values. Suppressing such speech, she warned, would only hide the threat. The conversation turned to proposed Denver ballot measures that would ban meat processing in the city. Kochevar connected the dots between such initiatives and broader attacks on small business and the food supply. She noted how regulatory creep, from gas stove bans to attacks on traditional cooking methods, chips away at economic freedom one cut at a time. “The most important speech is the speech that you do not like. We need to know these people are here and what their intentions are.” Susan Kochevar, 88 Drive-In Theater Owner The Responsible Exercise of Freedom Start listening at 32:06 – Hour 1 Jay Morrison led the table topics discussion with Liberty Toastmasters members calling in to share their perspectives on responsible freedom. The conversation traced the philosophical roots of American liberty back to the Founding Fathers, who risked everything to establish a nation built on individual rights and personal responsibility. Rick Rome opened the discussion by connecting liberty to religious principles, noting that Benjamin Franklin once toasted guests with the observation that beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy. Rome extended this metaphor to liberty itself, arguing that freedom represents a state of grace in a secular world. He emphasized that rights come with responsibilities, challenging the conflation of rights with entitlements. “There’s no need for a right if you don’t have the responsibility to exercise it properly.” Rick Rome, Liberty Toastmasters Denver Constitutional Foundations and Civic Duty Start listening at 36:03 – Hour 1 Greg Morrissey, who immigrated from Australia and became a U.S. citizen by choice, brought a unique perspective on American liberty. He urged listeners to study the Constitution like the back of their hand, describing personal liberty as perhaps the most precious commodity in society today. His experience living under both systems gave weight to his warning that freedom requires constant vigilance. “Know your country, know your history, know what liberty is. Do not let it go. Keep us free from what’s been pushed on us today stronger than ever before.” Greg Morrissey, Liberty Toastmasters North Personal Responsibility Over Government Solutions Start listening at 38:42 – Hour 1 Terri Goon challenged the automatic assumption that government should fix every problem. Drawing on h...