At this Make Shift Coffee House we will have an actual conversation about the meaning of freedom and then facilitator/trainer Craig Freshley will help us learn from that conversation. We hope that each person will take away practical tips and tools to use in your own conversations with people who think different from you.

Generically, Freedom is defined as “absence of coercion or constraint in choice or action.” But in the United States the word is iconic, even though the concept of freedom in America has always been in flux. In different eras it’s had different meanings. To the founders it meant freedom from tyrannical government, whether it be the crown or our own. The New Deal cited the power of economic dynasties to be the antithesis of freedom. The Sixties promoted freedom through unfettered individuality. These days, freedom is centered in the markets and the lack of government restraints on the economy.

This bedrock tenet of our nation has always carried a mix of conflicting ideologies. Today, “Freedom” is often used to convince voters that one side or the other is about to take it away.

At this Make Shift Coffee House we want to hear from YOU and why you believe the way you do.

What does “freedom” mean to you?
Which is the most important freedom in your life?
Has your freedom ever been endangered by a different belief?
Is it okay if your idea of freedom collides with your neighbor’s?
Do you question any other view of freedom?
Have you ever felt an absence of freedom?
Are there freedoms you are you most afraid of losing? And why?
How do you wish you had more freedom in Yarmouth? Or that other people had less?

Here are some “freedom conflicts” that we hope to hear your opinions about:
Freedom of Worship / religious oppression/ discrimination
Freedom of Speech / defamation, hate
Freedom of the Press / privacy, fake news,
Freedom from Want / the “nanny state”
Freedom from Fear / things that frighten us
Freedom to Travel / safety/nationalism
Freedom from Environmental Damage / government regulation