"One such symbol is located in Washington D.C. High atop Capital Hill sits the Capital Building of the U.S.A. The cornerstone of that building was laid in 1793, but the crowning touch, is the statue that stands on top of the rotunda which is called the “Freedom Lady”. The Freedom Lady was placed there in 1863. She stands nearly 20 feet tall with a crest of stars framing her face and a shield of stars and stripes in her left hand.
Freedom Lady was sculpted in Rome and brought to America by ship. During her trip across the Atlantic Ocean she found herself in the midst of a terrible storm. As the storm beat against the ship its captain began to order the crew to scuttle the cargo in order to lighten the load so that they may be able to stay afloat. In the heat of the moment the crew desperately wanted to through “Freedom Lady” over board since she was the heaviest object on board. But, the Captain, shouting over the wind said, “No! Never!” We will flounder before we throw ‘Freedom’ away. And so, Freedom was saved because of one man’s willingness to sacrifice everything he had even his own life for Freedom’s cause. And today she stands Proudly atop the center of world freedom - the Capital of the U.S.A." (From Sermon Central Contributor Richard Burkey’s Sermon "Freedom")
Also see (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/etext/fourmill/statue.html);
"Oh how we have forgotten the preciousness of Freedom in this generation. We live in a world that is increasingly belittling the very cost of that which we so flippantly enjoy every day." - Ronnie Knight