To The Liberty Movement

Dear Friends of Freedom,

Now that the election is over and everyone else has flipped their televisions from CNN and FOX news back to reality TV and SportsCenter, I would like to take a moment to speak to the rest of you who are still in the fight for liberty.  Our movement has seen tremendous growth over the past few years and is steadily growing every day.  There is an increasing number of people who are opening their eyes to discover the evils of our oppressive overlords and in turn are taking a stand for the principles of liberty.  Do not let yourselves be dismayed by the looming threat of economic collapse or Big Brother's constant power grabs, because every time the enemies of freedom attack the people our resistance is reinforced by newly awakened and angry Americans joining our cause.  This truth is becoming more evident as we see things like voters choosing Libertarian candidates more than ever before, nullification in action, and the recent nationwide demand for secession. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we live in a time of turbulence and tyranny; of that there is no doubt.  Violence, materialism, greed, and deception have oozed their way into every crack and crevice of this country and have become integral parts of American society; ironically, if we attempt to deny this fact we are only accepting it, thus perpetuating the problem.  When I say the problem I am not denying that we have a multitude of problems on our hands; I am only doing what I believe everyone should do and simplifying it, because believe it or not folks, peace and freedom are not very complicated.  So what is the problem?  Some would call it evil.  Some would call it immorality.  Regardless of the word you use to describe it, or what you believe it's origin is, we all need to recognize that it is a strong force in this world, and more importantly, that it is a force that lurks in the heart of every human.

Remember that Ghandi quote that Ghandi never actually said about being the change you want to see in the world?  That's what we need to do.  We need to apply the non-aggression principle and do everything in our power to be at peace with ourselves and with our fellow man by expelling our own immoral thoughts and negativity.  Simply 'being the change we want to see' isn't going to change the forces we are up against but it will make you an example that others will respect and want to emulate.  If we want to win people over to the cause of liberty we need to go past just saying we won't use force against other people; we need to make a commitment to treat people with kindness in our every day interactions.

I see rude, disrespectful, ignorant, and sometimes downright hateful comments from people within the Liberty Movement on the Internet far to often.  I understand that people are angry at the government and frustrated with the masses who seem to mindlessly do as they are told; but lashing out in an unkind way does nothing but hurt us.  We must remember that our neighbor is not our enemy just because they have an Obama campaign sign in their yard.  There are plenty of great people who make bad decisions simply because they are uneducated. 

We have all been force fed propaganda our entire lives.  From our televisions to our text books we have been lied to and manipulated since we could comprehend the English language.  It is not always an easy thing to let go of long held beliefs and it is almost never instant.  We should be more understanding to people who are processing new information like that because most of us have been there.  Most of us have at one time or another been fooled into believing some government fairy tale.  Before I started paying attention I supported Bush and the wars; and I even signed up to go fight the "War on Terror".  I used to believe that taxation was legitimate and that Teddy Roosevelt and Honest Abe were great presidents.  I won't go on about the nonsense I used to believe but my point is we can all get fooled.

When I started to educate myself it really tore me up inside to see the truth.  I had so believed the government lies that I was willing to die for them and then when it was too late to turn back I discovered the truth.  The transition can be stressful and emotionally taxing for many people and we should be there to guide them in their journey with kindness and intelligence not to turn them away with insults and ignorant language.  Even if you are engaging in a debate with someone who is being rude to you there is no reason to be rude back.  Why is there no reason to be rude back to people?  It is because your argument is always better.  There is no need to insult someone in an ignorant manner when you can completely destroy their argument while maintaining a professional and scholarly attitude. 

You will always have a better argument in libertarian philosophy but it is absolutely vital that you educate yourself.  Learn libertarian philosophy and Austrian Economics in and out so you have the ability to fully expound the ideas to others, but also learn the opposition's arguments so you can properly defend liberty.  Take advantage of the great resources we have through the Internet like www.mises.org and www.libertyclassroom.com or just the plethora of articles and information that can be searched or the thousands of educational documentaries and videos on YouTube.  This is an intellectual revolution and it can't be won unless we educate and improve ourselves and encourage others to do the same. 

Take some time and pick up a book; don't spend all your time on YouTube watching Alex Jones. Seek after more intellectually stimulating sources like Ron Paul, Murray Rothbard, Ludwig Von Mises, Tom Woods, Thomas Paine, Henry David Thoreau,  Lew Rockwell, Tom DiLorenzo, Bob Murphy, Lysander Spooner, Frederic Bastiat, Thomas Jefferson, Friedrich Hayek, Judge Andrew Napolitano, etc.  Read the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Magna Carta.  When you're done with that read Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler, John Maynard Keynes, Alexander Hamilton, etc.  Study history and economics with passion because in an intellectual revolution they are key to victory.  I'm not saying don't ever watch Alex Jones or others like him.  He has done very good and influential work; but he has also put out a lot of garbage and what he offers isn't exactly intellectual stimulation. 

It is time for us to break the chains of government bondage and take a stand for freedom.  It is time for us to make a commitment to educate ourselves and others and to uphold the truth with absolute integrity.  It is time for us to interact with our fellow man peacefully, with kindness and respect.  We the people must make an active effort to spread the message of liberty and to resist government tyranny through civil disobedience and self reliance if we really want our sovereignty. 

I pray for peace and blessings to you all as you journey through life and as we labour together for the cause of liberty.