When this old crow—that’s me—was in high school, some of my best teachers were World War II veterans who had come home, studied under the GI Bill and decided to become educators.

Even at that early age, I absorbed some very basic knowledge of what democracy is and our duties to preserve it.

Rights are always paired with responsibility. They go hand in hand. Say it: Rights, responsibility. Rights, responsibility.

Today, much of our society lacks an understanding of freedom, not even thinking about the treasure we possess in this country. Freedom. It is tangible. We do have safeguards to keep us on the right path: the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They are there to preserve our freedom and protect us from government overreach.

Much later in life, the light went on in my head! I had not understood why those who haven’t lived in a system like ours and come to America often kiss the ground upon arrival.

Repeat after me: Kiss the ground! Yes, that’s what they do. They know. They understand. The light went on in their heads much earlier than mine did.

Many Americans have little understanding of the differences between the feel of freedom and the feel of control until it is too late.

That is what happened in Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and other countries in our hemisphere. They were asleep at the switch, unable to save their countries once the claws of dictatorship and communism were entrenched.

Suddenly, like a blast over the head with a hammer, they understood.

Too late.

I was privileged to teach some of the doctors who came to Larned State Hospital to earn their ECFMG licenses to practice medicine in the U.S. during the takeover of Cuba. They were Cuban refugees, once wealthy and practicing medicine in their home country. They were lucky to escape with only the clothes on their backs. Immediately flown to Spain, they were dropped off with no jackets or sweaters. They had nothing but the clothes they wore when they were kicked out of their homes at gunpoint and machete point. Takeovers always “cleanse” the population of the middle and upper classes first.

I taught English night classes to these professionals because I could communicate in my major fields of Spanish and French. But there was so much more to my experience.

I taught Dr. Tomas how to drive, and I came to know his family. I took him to city hall, to the grocery store, to an auction — everywhere.

I heard his story.

I came to know young Dr. Izaguerre and heard about his frightening ordeal. We all became friends.

They were so deeply traumatized. They had seen assassinations, children taken from their families, and friends fleeing who failed to make it to safety.

The takeover of power, the immediate implementation of severe rules, control, violence and assassinations, along with the seizure of all property, finances, land and homes, were initiated in a single day. No warning.

I heard it all.

I have not forgotten.

What do I see today? Naivete. Ignorance. People think life here is the same everywhere in the world. They think buying a home in Costa Rica is as secure as it is in America. They think they can live in Panama, or anywhere else, and enjoy all the freedoms they enjoyed in the U.S. It’s cheaper, after all!

I have no problem with Americans living abroad if they understand the risk—and, hopefully, if they are watching their backs.

Our legal immigrants get it. They are aware. They feel freedom.

It is God-given and tangible.

People scramble to come here.

Yet, uninformed, naive individuals are screaming for communism to be our new system.

And those who listen to them believe it.

I see signs I don’t like. When government becomes about personalities instead of defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, when it takes its eyes off the Creator, and when we are uninformed about what we have, we become weak, naive and emotionally driven.

Now, what does this mean to us right now?

With our rights comes responsibility.

Our duty is to exercise those rights and teach our children, grandchildren, friends and anyone else about what we have.

What can you do, you ask?

Well, you can vote. To vote is much more than casting a ballot. It is exercising your responsibility, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is deeply important to be able to vote.

Shame on us if we aren’t fulfilling that responsibility.

Pay attention. We are vulnerable. We are being tested, and it’s time for all of us to do whatever we can to keep this system in place.

I am ending my tirade now...

Judi Tabler lives in Pawnee County and is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune. She can be reached at juditabler@gmail.com.