In The Federalist Papers, James Madison lists off actions that the people were concerned the federal government would do after the constitution was put into place. These included the federal government becoming equal to, or more powerful than state governments or the federal government taking more power than what was given them. After listing off these concerns he eases the people’s conscience by telling them if this ever were to happen, “A correspondence would be opened. Plans of resistance would be concerted.” Not only this, but he also asks, “but what degree of madness could ever drive the federal government to such an extremity?” He, along with many others, was so sure that the government would never take power that wasn’t expressly given them in the constitution and if it somehow did happen, the people would immediately put a stop to it. However, the government has completely stepped outside its constitutional cage and is taking over, yet we do nothing to stop it. Something James Madison was so sure would never happen, has happened, and it has only been just over two-hundred years. Lucky for us, we can be the people James Madison hoped we would be. We can be those who put a stop to the tyranny and bring back the liberty we have lost. Countless writers, historians, and patriots have taught that liberty can only be obtained through a virtuous people. If we will strive to better ourselves and teach those around us, we can be just who Madison predicted we would be, even if we are a little late.

This past week America Restored finally reached over one thousand visitors. Though it may be a small number, it is a small number of people who now have a least a small portion of knowledge about liberty and its importance. We hope that what we have written has impacted each of these one thousand people in some way, and we are so grateful we have the ability to write each week. Thank you to all those who have supported us through these past couple years, we are thrilled to have one thousand visitors and are looking forward for more to come!

Yours truly,

Publius

First, I’d like to apologize for not putting this entry up yesterday. The world has funny methods of distracting people from what they should be doing.

While thinking of what to write about this week, I remembered a quote I came across said by Voltaire, “Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.” One of the biggest challenges in restoring liberty today, is that many of the people who are enslaved believe they are completely free and it is hard to convince them otherwise when they’ve been taught that their whole lives. Once people realize that they aren’t as free as the were led to believe they were, they will have a desire to have that freedom. Once people decide that they want to be free, then liberty can be restored. That is overall the purpose of why I write every week, to teach others of liberty and tyranny, and to convince them that liberty needs to be restored. The more people that have the desire to help, the closer we are to our goal. Liberty is better than anything a tyrant can offer you, so don’t be led to believe you don’t need liberty. Don’t be fooled into believing you are free, because when you do, those who seek power get it. Never forget that liberty is one of “the greatest of all earthly blessings” and that it is worth doing whatever it takes to obtain it.

Yours truly,

Publius

“No man will take great pains, spend his youth, and lose his pleasures, to purchase infamy or punishment… Ignorance accompanies slavery, and is introduced to people by it. People who live in freedom will think with freedom; but when the kind is enslaved by fear, and the body by chains, inquiry and study will be at an end.” -Thomas Gordon

Fear is a crucial tool of a tyrant. When we are afraid to break a “law” although it is unconstitutional, the tyrant gains more power. When we are afraid to learn and listen to principles, the tyrant laughs. Most importantly, when we are afraid to be an advocate for liberty, the tyrant wins.

The definition of an advocate is “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause.” An advocate of liberty is someone who is not afraid to stand up in front of others to teach them about liberty. It is someone who strives to learn more about liberty by reading the words of the founding fathers and those who inspired them. An advocate of liberty knows of its importance and is striving to restore it. Now, none of us our perfect, which means sometimes, we are afraid to stand up and declare the worth of liberty; sometimes, we neglect to take time to study and learn; and sometimes, we forget how important liberty really is; but that does not mean we cannot strive to be advocates for liberty. We need to recognize that when we are afraid to do so, the tyrant is winning. We cannot let fear enslave our minds. We cannot be subject to tyranny. Venture to be an advocate for liberty, and support liberty at all costs.

Yours truly,

Publius

As I have stated countless times, there is no doubt that there are many people who oppose the idea of liberty. Whether it is because they just don’t fully understand it, they enjoy the free stuff they gain from not having it, or they’re a tyrant who gains power from taking it, there is never a shortage of people who will try their hardest to stop liberty from being restored. To me, this has always been difficult. It is hard to continue fighting for something when it seems like most of the time you are fighting alone, but I’ve learned that even if I am standing alone, I am still standing up for something I know to be right. While thinking about this, the founding fathers always come to mind. Compared to the forces of the tyrant, they were few, they stood relatively alone; however, they knew liberty was worth fighting for, even if they were greatly outnumbered. All odds were against them, but they fought courageously and continuously for what they knew to be right, and succeed in taking back the liberty that had been stolen from them. Thomas S. Monson boldly declared, “Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm; dare to make it known.” Whether you stand with ten people, or ten million, right is right, and wrong is wrong. Nothing will change that. Your choice, is whether you will go along with the crowd, even if what they are doing is wrong, or stand out, and stand up for what you know to be right. I can assure you, that even if you feel like no one is with you, you are never alone if you are doing what is right. It may be difficult to fight for something so many people seem to say is wrong, but if you do, you will start to see all the good that comes from doing so.

Yours truly,

Publius