One of the most sacred gifts given to mankind, a treasure long forgotten, a gem that should always be held dear; liberty. Though most have long forgotten the meaning of this cherished word, the word itself still remains. It remains it the words of forgotten writers, in the hearts of those who fought for it so long ago, and in the back of every tyrant’s mind. The tyrant knows this word is what stands in between him, and ultimate power. If the people know of this word and its meaning, they fight to keep it, putting chains on the tyrant’s power. So, he locks it up. He forbids the reading of every valuable book, destroys the names of those most important to its return before, and convinces that those who know of it now are fools. Why do you think you’ve never heard of Cicero, Algernon Sidney, David Hume, or John Trenchard? Because one page of any of their writings and you learn something that ignites a spark in you. You may start to get ideas, maybe even begin to feel like something is not quite right in your country despite what many have said. Then, you do more reading and discover that there is actually a way you can restore things to the way they are intended to be. This is the fear of a tyrant because if this is the way you think, he is one step closer to losing his wealth, popularity, and power. Now do you see why we write? No one should ever be permitted to rob us of the wonderful opportunity to read inspiring words, and feel the embrace of liberty. Search diligently for the knowledge that it so important to know, use the knowledge you gain, and never allow it to be taken from you again. 

Continue Learning,

Publius

To read the writings of these men and many more, visit http://oll.libertyfund.org/