What we can learn about freedom from a 19th century Russian author? 

UPDATE: for those of you that clicked on the link and thought “TL;DR” (does anyone actually think in acronyms?), there is a dramatic reading that you can listen to.

I spent the morning coffee time re-reading the “Grand Inquisitor” chapter in The Brothers Karamazov”. While many see it as a screed against the Catholic Church by their opposition (that is the Eastern Orthodox Church), I think it’s far more interesting when viewed through the lens of how some who seek to rule value / view human freedom. Many have said that Dostoyevsky predicted what would become of his own country in the century following the publication of his book, but those that seek power seem to have universal qualities that make much of what he wrote very real to the west as well.
I know it’s long, and the language is somewhat difficult…and there are fireworks, BBQ and beer to be consumed. But on this day that’s supposed to be about freedom and independence, at least book mark the link to the text above to read sometime later. If we don’t understand what something is, how can we celebrate it?