I always encourage, “keep fighting for what’s right” and “keep pressing forward”, but that can be hard to do. I think sometimes people overlook the fact that just moving forward with what you know to be right can be one of the most difficult challenges we face today because there are so many that tell you to stop and try blocking your path. People forget that commitment, diligence, and perseverance are all incredibly important virtues that need to be recognized as such . Despite the fact that all three of these virtues are very similar, they are not the same, but they do go hand in hand. First, commitment; whatever you are doing, whatever you are fighting for, it is important to be committed to it. If you’re not committed to begin with, you will not get far. Many of the men and women we read about throughout history proved that they were committed to liberty and virtue because they dedicated their lives to preserving them, which leads to the next virtue, diligence. To be diligent is to continue doing what you are doing on a regular basis. You can’t simply read a page of a book and say you have diligently read it, you need to read it daily until you finish it, then proceed to act on what you’ve learned from it to prove your diligence. Henry B. Eyring taught, “We are to act in all diligence, never being lazy or slothful. The pattern is simple but not easy to follow.” That leads to the final topic, perseverance. To persevere is to continue being diligent, even when it is hard… especially when it is hard. The time it starts becoming difficult to continue working toward something virtuous is when it is needed the most.

These three principles I brought up today need to all be applied together. Be committed to what you are doing, be diligent in doing so, and persevere when it gets tough; then will the goal you are working towards become a reality. When it gets hard to fight for liberty, keep pressing forward, keep learning, and keep fighting; we are fighting with you and we know it will all be worth it.

Yours truly,
Publius

Edmund Burke said, “Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil”. I have already written about slavery many times, and talked about its meaning, which is obviously the loss of liberty, but what I have not yet mentioned is that slavery does not come about just from tyranny. In today’s world, people are enslaved by more than just the government. As Burke’s quote said, it grows on every soil. His analogy doesn’t only apply to where slavery is, it applies to what it is… a weed. No matter what you do or what you try to surround yourselves with, there will always be something that can enslave you, and you can’t stop that, but it is your choice as to whether or not that thing will enslave you. There are so many things that distract from the more important aspects of life, and if you allow these things to dictate how you live your life, you’ve allowed them to make you their slave. It is devastating to see that so many lives are ruined because people allow something so small and seemingly innocent to control their entire lives. Fortunately, we have the power to choose how we will live our lives! If we don’t want to let an object, or a tyrant, to make us slaves, we don’t have to. We have the power to say no to the tyrant or whatever is threatening our liberty, even if others tell us to say yes. We have the power to say yes to those good and honorable things that will bless our lives, even if the tyrant tells us to say no. We control our own lives no matter what stands in our way. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t stop something from controlling you. The only way to truly be controlled is to accept that you are giving up power, you must be willing to give yourself up to the things that seek to distract you or to enslave you. People will always say it doesn’t matter what you do, that everyone is addicted to this or that, which is false. You have a say in what possesses your mind. All you need is the knowledge and willpower to only give yourself to what is right. There are books filled with teachings that say you will be blessed if you do so, despite what the world says, because liberty is something far greater than anything the world can offer you, you might just have to work to see it. 

Frédérick Basiat taught, “Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.” But what exactly is a law? Many people have been led to believe that if the president or any other government official decides to put a rule into place, it is a law and therefore must be followed. I will declare right now that this is a false idea. A law is a rule put into place, as Basiat said, for the protection of our lives, liberty, and property, within the bounds of the Constitution. If it does not follow these standards then it must not be obeyed. Now, I understand that this is easier said then done as people are still punished as if these rules were laws, this is yet another reason why we write. The more people there are that understand this principle, the more people can take a stand for what it right. It is sad it see that not only are these “laws” not completing their initial purpose, they are doing the opposite and putting boundaries on life, liberty, and property. Somehow instead of protecting these things, they are taking them away in order to satisfy the greed of those who have put these “laws” into place. It is time we stop accepting everything and recognize that it is ok to resist when you are resisting tyranny. This nation was meant for more than this, there is far more potential than any of us can recognize in this country, and in ourselves. It is our duty to live up to this potential and help others do the same. These “laws” we have been taught to obey, the ones that have put a stop on liberty, cannot be the reason we quit fighting for that liberty. As said in a previous entry, don’t fear the crown, and always fight for what is right, despite the hardships the world may throw at you. One day these “laws” will be discarded and replaced with real laws, laws that protect us, instead of harm us; on that day we will rejoice and say farewell to the tyranny that had destroyed our liberty. 
With confidence and assurance,

Publius