Closer To The Heart

Compassion and Gratitude are the driving forces of my activism. Many people, who know me, see me as an intellectual who needs to know everything or learn every truth. Although, it is true that I do value those things, they are not why I do what I do. My passion comes from my want to heal the world. It is my want to have made a positive difference. I also recognize the sacrifice and commitment to the world that so many people of the past have given. It is this Love of humanity and my belief in each of us that pushes me.

To give to others is not an easy task. My life is complicated and my time is limited. To be clear, my family is my priority. This does not stand in the way of my activism; it is just a personal part. Raising my children to respect individual rights and abhor violence is something I have given to the freedom movement. I have four children. Two of them are adults. Both of them are Libertarians, and vocally so. My 14 year old can't wait to meet Adam Kokesh when he is in my state in a few weeks and my 8 year old runs around in a freedom t-shirt and wants to give Adam's book to her teachers. My wife is my support, while I work for the campaign and a valuable center of ethical advice.

This foundation gives me the strength to talk to others about my positions. Peace is always where I start. Many of my friends are not Libertarians. Instead of focusing on how these liberals and I differ, I seek to find common ground. Usually it is found in civil liberties. That does not imply that we do not ever disagree. Certainly not, but first we have established that we both want a similar outcome. From both of our points of view we are aimed at a peaceful world, without war and where the individual owns himself. In my debates with them I return to this agreement often. Usually, when they are talking about the government being “needed" to do one thing or another, I ask questions like, “So, you would use the violence of government to, at the point of a gun, take property from peaceful people?”

Even this is not the point of my activism. I love humanity and I believe in it. The goodness of humanity is all around us. Sure, governments who desire to control through fear, want us to focus on the evil man has committed. They ask us to ignore the little signs of our love for each other. We come together and sympathize with our fellow man in his times of trouble. It is our instinct to cheer others on as they succeed. This is why we like watching competitions and sports. We root for our favorite team.

Freedom, as a word, is popular and is used by everyone. It gives us a sense of uniqueness and a respect for others. This is what my activism is for. We are sharing the Love of this world with others as individuals, respecting the rights of all.

I want to water the trees of liberty. Many times people refer to this analogy as watering seeds. The Tree of Liberty is vibrant and alive; the seeds were planted long ago. I am Grateful to the long list of men and women from every culture who planted, watered, and cultivated this tree with their hearts and sometimes blood. I have had the pleasure of being able to research those individuals while writing the Forgotten Freedom Fighter series for Adam Kokesh.

Reading and researching these great people has become a joy in my life. Sure, occasionally it brings tears to my eyes when I write about the sacrifice so many have made. Whether that was actually giving their life for their efforts, being persecuted, tortured, or simply being pushed aside by government. These heroes, I hope, have been given new life by my work. It is part of my spirituality to honor my ancestors. I try to share their stories and encourage others to find their roots in our common movement towards a free world.

The Freedom Movement is a unique and varied collection of individuals sharing their efforts to bring about positive change. We are participating in an evolution on many levels. I am proud to be a part of that. I hope what I bring to the table will not be what I know, but what I have given. May those who came before us continue to inspire and uplift each of us.