This story is what prompted me to ask the question


The Fortress
An allegorical look at America's
struggle for freedom

Editor's note: Amy Stanford is a 17-year-old home-schooled senior
who lives near Austin, Texas. She has a strong interest in
journalism as a career.

© 2001 WorldNetDaily.com

What great men dared to choose
Small men now dare neither win
Nor lose.
--Archibald MacLeish, "Brave New World"

In a far away land that is surprisingly nearer than you thought,
there is a fortress disguised as a palace, a barricade as a
courtyard. It was built by a very brave and radical people who
would have rather died than suffer under the cruel heel of
tyranny any longer. And thousands did sacrifice their lives --
men, women, and children -- to build this haven of safety and
freedom.

After much labor, sweat, blood and tears, the beautifully hewn
stones and carved pillars were erected to an impenetrable height.
It was not a flimsy, impromptu affair, but a structure designed
to last for centuries to come. The foundation was solid, the
walls strong. The people who built it realized the Fortress would
be constantly under attack, and so they impressed upon their
children the importance of ceaseless vigilance and prayer to make
certain the walls would remain strong.

This people's story is an inspiring one, and no doubt you have
heard bits and pieces of it, although it is not as widely told
and celebrated as it once was. But I am not here to tell what has
gone before. I am going to tell you what must yet come.

Now something must be understood: Many battles were and are being
fought for the Fortress. The individuals who died in these
battles did not die for themselves, nor for their children, nor
even for the Fortress. These soldiers died once, their mothers,
wives, sweethearts and sisters died many times over, for a dream,
for an ideal, for Seven Personages who are as real as you and I,
and who are the main characters of this story.

Some people class these seven entities with Santa Claus and the
Tooth Fairy, as myths. Nevertheless, they are living, breathing
persons that have abode in the Fortress by invitation and by
choice since its beginning. They could choose to leave at any
time, yet they stay, for they have come to think of the Fortress
as their home. Yes, these seven persons have names -- Liberty,
Justice, Uncle Sam, History, Wisdom, Innocence, and Truth. Oh,
yes. And the Eagle, the Protector of the Fortress. It and Uncle
Sam cannot really be called individuals, neither can they exactly
leave at any time. But they are both important and vital figures.

"Why would they want to leave such a secure place as you have
just described anyway?" you may well ask. Many years have passed
since the building of the Fortress. It is not the tower of
security it once was. The Enemy, seeing that direct attack upon
the massive structure was futile, resorted to craft and deceit.
He fed the people of the Fortress false philosophies and subtle
lies, causing them to gradually let down their guard. The Enemy
ceased his violent attack upon the walls and let several
generations pass without a battle, causing the people of the
Fortress to further slip into a false sense of security and
confidence. As the Enemy, overjoyed at his success, stepped up
the flow of false teachings, the foundation of the Fortress began
to crumble from neglect and the nibbling of the Enemy.

The Seven watched these events with despair, for the people began
to reject their advice. Particularly Justice and Truth's. As the
people became more and more corrupted with the Enemy's lies,
Uncle Sam and the Eagle were also corrupted, for they were made
up of the people.

And then the unthinkable began to happen. Slowly, without the
people realizing it, the Enemy gained access to the very persons
their ancestors had fought and died to protect. Only Truth saw
him coming, easing, creeping, sneaking his way into the Fortress.
She ran first to Liberty. "We are under attack! The Enemy is
here, he will enslave as before!"

Liberty looked around in alarm. She didn't see any Enemy.
Stroking her graying temples thoughtfully, she told Truth, "There
is no one here, the people are still free."

Truth insisted, "He is here. I saw him walking among the people.
They accept him. We are in danger."

"No doubt you think you saw someone, Truth, for you do not lie."
Here Liberty laughed at the obviousness of the statement. "But we
are safe in the Fortress, the Enemy cannot invade us."

"But he has--" Truth was cut off by a careless wave from
Liberty's hand. Truth's forever-young face fell in disappointment
and grief, and she walked slowly away.

A few minutes later, softly, quietly, the broken shackles at
Liberty's feet were mended and gently replaced around her wrists.
Her flaming torch dimmed slowly to a mere flicker of a candle.
She looked up in surprise. There was no one but her six friends
and the people of the Fortress. The Enemy had become so
commonplace, almost a reassuring presence to the people, he
blended in, he was invisible. Nobody would be able to see him
coming. Nobody but Truth.

Liberty turned to Uncle Sam. "The Enemy is among us. I have been
shackled again. Free me as you did before! He has taken away the
people of the Fortress' freedom. Now he is able to destroy them!"

Uncle Sam snorted good-naturedly. He seemed much bigger than he
ever had before, more powerful. "You've been listening to Truth.
She's been telling everyone that the Enemy is right here in the
Fortress. What nonsense. You are not shackled, Liberty, it is a
figment of your imagination. Why, look at the people. They are
just as free as they have ever been."

Liberty obediently examined the people. It was true, they seemed
happy enough, working, playing, going to school. She brought her
chained wrists up to her face to inspect the shackles. They were
not too heavy. But little things here and there bothered her. She
mentioned them to Uncle Sam. He laughed her off again, saying,
"What? Would you have us destroy all laws? You know that without
fairness, there is no real freedom. Everything is just fine."

Liberty protested, "That's just it. It's fairness, not justice,
you are giving to the people."

Uncle Sam looked at her in confusion. "Is there a difference?"

"I ... don't know. I will ask Justice." Liberty walked away to
find Justice. She was sitting alone on Court Terrace, facing the
sunset. Liberty wondered why, as Justice's blindfold did not
allow her to see it. Sometimes Liberty pitied her, never being
able to take the blindfold off, but it was vital, Liberty knew.

Justice heard Liberty's footsteps and turned with a rather
uncertain, but pleased smile. Her blindfold was gone. Liberty
gasped, and ran closer. "Justice, your blindfold. ..." Then she
noticed something else. "Your sword ... what happened to them?"

"He said it wasn't right that my eyes were covered. He said I
needed to see if my judgment was fair. He took away my sword. He
said it was too cruel, too intimidating, I shouldn't use it
anymore. He gave me this to use instead." Justice held up a
ridiculously little wooden spoon.

Liberty gazed at Justice in amazement. The Interpreter of the
Law's eyes were a soft, sparkling blue. It was sad they had been
hidden for so long. "Justice, who's 'he'?"

"Why, I don't really know. I heard this nice voice speaking to
me, telling me why I needed to take my blindfold off. He took my
sword, handed me this spoon, then took my blindfold. I could see,
and nobody was there." Justice hesitated. "I heard also Truth's
voice. She was warning me not to listen to him. She said he was
the Enemy, but he seemed much too pleasant for that. After he
took away my sword ... she spoke no more."

Justice's eyes fell to Liberty's wrists. "Why are you shackled,
Liberty? I thought we were free."

Justice's naïveté touched Liberty's heart, and she hastened to
reassure her. "Oh, these are not serious. Just some little laws
here and there that we need so we can be fair to everybody."

But Justice caught the uncertainty in her voice. "Fairness. ... I
suppose it's all right. But Truth seemed so sure that it was the
Enemy." Justice paused in thought. "Will I have to change my name
to Fairness?"

Liberty turned this over in her mind. "I don't really know.
Anyway, I came to ask you a question. Is there a difference
between justice and fairness?"

Justice glanced down at the pair of scales in her hand. "Before I
would measure them against each other in the scales, but now that
I can see to judge for myself ... he said that I should."

"The man who took away your blindfold said that?"

"Yes. Perhaps he is right." Justice took a deep breath and tossed
away her scales. "In that case, I see no difference between
fairness and justice."

Liberty looked doubtful. "That seems OK, but now I remember
Wisdom saying something about the difference between the two. Are
you sure in your judgment?"

Justice sighed. "No, I am not. I just don't know. This is all so
new to me. The man said to trust myself, but perhaps we should
ask Wisdom after all."

"Yes, let's. I'm sure she will know."

And so the two women made their way to the Fortress' school and
library where the younger people learned how to live life. But
Liberty and Justice did not find Wisdom, instead they found an
extremely attractive young man who looked like he was fresh out
of college. He was teaching where Wisdom had once taught, but
with a different theme. Liberty accosted him politely. "Excuse
me, sir, where is Wisdom?"

The young man laughed derisively. "Wisdom? Who needs Wisdom? I am
Knowledge. I am a better teacher than Wisdom, I have more power
than her. She would teach these kids to follow stuffy, bigoted,
hypocritical rules that would hinder them in their exploration of
life. Wisdom is a useless old fool." Knowledge eyed Justice and
her downcast expression. "Congratulations on being
de-blindfolded. Now you have more power, more knowledge. Why are
you not happy?"

Justice dropped her eyes shyly. "I ... I am, I suppose. It's just
that, well, Liberty and I had a question."

Knowledge puffed out his chest and boasted, "Ask away. I know
everything."

Liberty took a sudden strong disliking to Knowledge. "No. We will
ask Wisdom. Where is she?"

Knowledge sneered, "She is gone; she will never show her face in
this room again. And there's nothing you can do about it. You are
chained."

Liberty glanced at her shackles in shame. Knowledge continued in
an insolent tone. "I am sufficient to answer your question. Ask
me."

Justice looked bewildered. Liberty hesitated, then walked
resolutely off. Justice turned to follow, but Knowledge caught
her by the wrist, speaking in a soft, silky voice. "Stay a little
while and let me tell you more, Justice."

Justice jerked away, blushing, with her eyes down. "No ... no, I
must go." And she hurried after Liberty.

When she caught up with her, Liberty was muttering angrily. "Who
does he think he is? I need Wisdom, and I will find her. He
cannot tell me what to do."

Justice asked pitifully, "What's wrong? Is the Enemy really in
the Fortress? How did he get in? Where is Wisdom?"

"Hush, dear. I am thinking. I cannot do much to free the people
of the Fortress now, but I can warn the others. We must find
them."

Justice obediently fell silent, trotting behind Liberty's long
strides. Soon they reached the Great Room, the meeting place of
the Seven, and where a horrible spectacle met their eyes.

The Enemy was there to be seen plainly, holding a sword to
History's throat as he whispered in her ear the lies he was
forcing her to record. With a shock, Liberty recognized the sword
as Justice's. Truth lay in a corner, bound and gagged with
Justice's blindfold. Uncle Sam stood rigidly, his suspenders cut,
and his pants around his ankles. His boxers were humiliatingly
polka dotted. The Eagle was wheezing weakly and his once-noble
feathers tattered and muddy. He dragged a broken wing beside him.
The arrows that used to be so strongly clasped in his claw were
broken and scattered about the room, and the olive branch was
wilted and useless.

But by far, the worst of it all was Innocence. She was bruised
and bleeding, sobbing hopelessly into Wisdom's lap. Wisdom
stroked Innocence's fine, tangled hair with a wrinkled and
shaking hand. Liberty and Justice walked slowly across the room
to Wisdom and Innocence, and Liberty knelt down beside the old
woman and the girl. Justice stood still, her eyes smoldering.
Liberty asked gently of Wisdom, "What happened to her?"

Wisdom answered in a brittle tone, "Knowledge." Her voice broke,
and tears fell on the golden head in her lap. "He raped her. My
little Innocence."

Justice opened her mouth to proclaim furious judgment on the
offender, but a raucous laugh startled her, and she whirled. The
Enemy stood there, smirking at the Seven's sorrow and rage. "I am
winning," he taunted. "The little people of the Fortress, they do
not care. They welcome me with open arms! Your humiliation, your
disgrace, it is my glory! You are beaten, give up the Fortress to
me!"

There was silence broken only by Innocence's weeping. History
watched, hoping, praying. She had come to the Fortress trusting
that she would be able to record accurately and objectively the
events of time. In other places, her arm had been twisted to put
down facts that glorified wrongs and praised evil. Here she had
been able to write with freedom and truth. Until now. She watched
as her friends who had protected and encouraged her gave up hope
one by one. Even Liberty's broad shoulders sagged. History's
sharp eyes darted to Wisdom. She had faith in Wisdom. It was not
unfounded.

"Do not despair totally. There is yet hope. If the people of the
Fortress realize the danger, they will fight back and rescue us."

The Enemy snickered. "And who will tell them, old woman? You are
all my prisoners, to do with as I please."

Wisdom glared at the Enemy with her faded blue eyes. "No, not
all. You may shackle Liberty, you may take away Justice's power,
you may mock me, you may destroy Innocence, you may distort
History, but you cannot bind Truth. You cannot destroy or stop
her. She will always be more powerful than you."

"Quiet, old woman! Cease your babbling!" The Enemy thundered. "It
is not true. Truth is silenced!"

"Only by the misuse of Justice!" Wisdom turned to Justice, whose
rage had subsided into a confused sullenness. "Go release Truth."

"No, stop! You are in my power." The Enemy's face was purple with
fury. Justice hesitated.

"Go on, Justice, he cannot stop you." This was from Liberty, who
had a new, but dim, light in her sad brown eyes. Justice walked
to Truth, who had been watching alertly, knelt down beside her,
and undid the bonds. The Enemy stomped and raged and threatened,
but that was all. Truth stood very still, waiting for
instructions from Wisdom.

"Go to the people of the Fortress, warn them about what is
happening. It will not be easy. They are self-satisfied and
comfortable. But you must succeed. The Fortress depends on it."

Truth had no trouble hearing Wisdom's soft words over the Enemy's
roaring. But suddenly it ceased. He watched warily as Truth
walked directly toward him. The Enemy seemed paralyzed as Truth
boldly took Justice's sword from his very hand. She regarded him
very much as one regards a mad dog. Truth turned to Wisdom, who
still had Innocence crying into her lap. She knelt down and
lightly kissed Innocence's head. "The hurt that has been done to
you shall be avenged. I swear this."

Truth rose and approached Liberty. "Give me your torch. It is not
as bright as it once was, but it will help light the darkness of
the Enemy's lies so the people of the Fortress can see that they
are no longer free."

Liberty gravely held out her torch. "God be with you."

Truth nodded, took the torch, and walked to stand before Uncle
Sam who had not said a word. "You have believed a lie and shamed
yourself and the Fortress in the eyes of the world. It has been
so recorded by History. It is now my responsibility to regain the
respect that the Fortress has lost by you."

The Enemy watched, still silent, as Truth knelt by the wounded
Eagle. Stroking its head, she murmured comfortingly, "The
Fortress' brave and unconquerable protector ... now conquered by
its own people. I will persuade them that you should be healed
and strengthened instead of broken down. Mend your arrows and
pluck another olive branch, for you shall be strong again soon."

The Eagle cocked its still-proud head and followed Truth's
movements with piercing eyes. She walked to the door of the Great
Room, then turned. Her six friends, the Eagle, and the Enemy were
watching her. In the six and the Eagle, she saw a quiet and
patient hope. They had all suffered before. In the Enemy, she saw
the small, shivering, worthless soul of a coward, masked by a
cruel and tyrannic face that expressed a desire for them to
suffer more. Truth raised her hand in farewell to her friends.
"In God we trust."

Without looking back, she walked out the door and into the world
of the people of the Fortress.

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