I sent this to Hobie yesterday and will write it again. Writers like Mr. Anderson need to stop conflating "liberty" and "freedom". They are not same concept.

Freedom truly is, well, freedom.

Liberty is merely temporary respite from slavery, privilege of freedom for an indeterminate term or condition. Just like a sailor who leaves the ship "on liberty", that liberty can be revoked at any time and for any reason.

~~~

Thanks for your response. I believe context of use is important to determine which definition for each word, should be applied in a particular situation.

From Websters,

Main Entry: freedom
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century

1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : INDEPENDENCE c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous *freedom from care* d : EASE, FACILITY *spoke the language with freedom* e : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken *answered with freedom* f : improper familiarity g : boldness of conception or execution h : unrestricted use *gave him the freedom of their home*

2 a : a political right b : FRANCHISE, PRIVILEGE
synonyms FREEDOM, LIBERTY, LICENSE mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. FREEDOM has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated *freedom of the press*. LIBERTY suggests release from former restraint or compulsion *the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty*. LICENSE implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom *freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license*.

Main Entry: liberty
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French libert*, from Latin libertat-, libertas, from liber free — more at LIBERAL
Date: 14th century

1 : the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e : the power of choice
2 a : a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant : PRIVILEGE b : permission especially to go freely within specified limits
3 : an action going beyond normal limits: as a : a breach of etiquette or propriety : FAMILIARITY b : RISK, CHANCE *took foolish liberties with his health* c : a violation of rules or a deviation from standard practice d : a distortion of fact
4 : a short authorized absence from naval duty usually for less than 48 hours
synonyms see FREEDOM
–at liberty
1 : FREE
2 : at leisure : UNOCCUPIED

~~~

Blacks Law 9th edition

freedom. (bef. 12c) 1. The state of being free or liberated_
2. A political right.

liberty. (14c) 1. Freedom from arbitrary or undue external
restraint, esp. by a government me death>. 2. A right, privilege, or immunity enjoyed
by prescription or by grant; the absence of a legal duty
imposed on a person Constitution>. [Cases: Constitutional Law ~1079,
3873.]
"[Liberty] denotes not merely freedom from bodily restraint
but also the right of the individual to contract, to engage
in any of the common occupations of life, to acquire
useful knowledge, to marry, establish a home and bring
up children, to worship God according to the dictates of
his own conscience, and generally to enjoy those privileges
long recognized at common law as essential to the orderly
pursuit of happiness by free men." Mever v. Nebraska, 262
U.S. 390, 399, 43 S.O. 625, 626 (1923).
''The sphere of my legal liberty is that sphere of activity
within which the law is content to leave me alone." John
Salmond, Jurisprudence 239 (Glanville L. Williams ed., 10th
ed. 1947).
'The word liberty has become a symbol around which
have clung some of the most generous human emotions.
We have been brought up to thrill with admiration at the
men who say, Give me liberty or give me death. But the
philosopher asks whether all those who are devoted to
liberty mean the same thing. Does liberty or freedom, for
instance, involve free trade? Does it involve freedom to
preach race hatred or the overthrow of all that we regard
as sacred? Many who believe in liberty characterize the
freedom which they are not willing to grant, as license,
and they do it so often that one may be inclined to think
that what we really need is less liberty and more license.
Moreover, there is a confUSion between the absence of
legal restraint and the presence of real freedom as positive
power to do what we want. The legal freedom to earn a
million dollars is not worth a cent to one who has no real
opportunity. It is fashionable to assert that men want
freedom above all other things, but a strong case may be
made out for the direct contrary. Absolute freedom is just
what people do not want ...." Morris R. Cohen, Reason
and Law 101-02 (1961).

natural liberty. (16c) The power to act as one wishes,
without any restraint or control, unless by nature.
'This natural liberty ... being a right inherent in us by
birth .... But every man, when he enters into society, gives
up a part of his natural liberty, as the price of so valuable
a purchase; and, in consideration of receiving the advan­
tages of mutual commerce, obliges himself to conform to
those laws, which the community has thought proper to
establish." 1 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws
of England 121 (1765).

personal liberty. (16c) One's freedom to do as one
pleases, limited only by the government's right to
regulate the public health, safety, and welfare. - Also
termed individual liberty. [Cases: Constitutional Law
<:>1079.]

political liberty. (17c) A person's freedom to participate
in the operation of government, esp. in elections and
in the making and administration oflaws.

religious liberty. (17c) Freedom - as guaranteed by
the First Amendment to express, without external
control other than one's own conscience, anv or no
system of religiOUS opinion and to engage in or'refrain
from any form of religiOUS observance or public or
private religiOUS worship, as long as it is consistent
with the peace and order of society. [Cases: Consti­
tutional Law <:> 1290-1428.]

~~~

Black's Law Dictionary 1st and 2nd Edition

http://www.nfpcar.org/Archive/Blacks_Law/

For Historical Purposes, below is a scanned copy of the 1st and 2nd edition of Black's Law Dictionary. The following is for "Educational Purposes Only". It is against Copyright Policies to sell this publication. Any infringment of this policy will be appropriately applied. This information was taken from http://blacks.worldfreemansociety.org/ . A pdf file was created, for offline use, and nothing has been changed.

(Note: a very large file and will take a bit to download)

742MB pdf

http://www.nfpcar.org/Archive/Blacks_Law/Black's%20Law%20Dictionary.pdf

Freedom. The state of being free; liberty; self-determination; absence of restraint; the opposite of slavery.

The power of acting, in the character of a moral personality, according to the dictates of the will, without check, hindrance, or prohibition that such as may be imposed by just and necessary laws and the duties of social life.

The prevalence, in the government and constitution of a country, of such a system of laws and institutions as secure civil liberty to the individual citizen.

Liberty 1. Freedom; exemption from extraneous control. The power of the will, in its moral freedom, to follow the dictates of its unrestricted choice, and to direct the external acts of the individual without restraint, coercion, or control form other persons.
(more in pdf)

2. The word also means a franchise or personal privilege, being some part of the sovereign power, vested in an individual, either by grant of prescription.

3. In a derivative sense, the term denotes the place, district, or boundaries within which a special franchise is enjoyed, an immunity claimed, a jurisdiction exercised. In this sense the term is commonly used in the plural; as "the liberties of the city," "the northern liberties of Philadelphia."