I don’t give up that easily because it is so easy to give up and lose hope when faced with the harsh realities, but my short life has taught me that nothing worth fighting for is going to be easy and nothing easy is worth fighting for. As cliché as that may sound, I am a firm believer in taking the more difficult approach if it results in a greater long term pay off. The appeal of get rich/powerful quick schemes has no appeal to me. Life is hard and harsh, and it is through struggling that we learn the greatest lessons. While I can totally empathize with how others who are leaving feel and was once there myself, I cannot fathom where I would go, how I would get there financially (no offense, but I’m no Doug Casey), or what I would do once I got there. It would be a disservice to go to another country and not attempt to assimilate into their culture, and though I love learning about other languages and cultures time is of the essence and I simply don’t have enough of it to truly dedicate to moving the proper way.

 

Now that I’ve rationalized why I must stay, the logical next question is how do we “fight?” This is another issue I have gone back and forth on multiple times. My inspiration comes from two radically different approaches that were profoundly in the public eye during the civil rights movement. Though not limited to the civil rights movement, it comes down to violent revolution or nonviolent revolution. For a long period of time I was heavily influenced by the approaches of the Black Panthers and the Black Liberation Army, and still believe that their usage of gun rights in the face of oppression had a significant impact on the way ordinary people stand up to the state. With talk of banning certain firearms, it seems people have forgotten the whole purpose of the Second Amendment---to protect the people from a government gone wild. The Panthers exercised their rights, and the images of them open carrying large guns in front of the Capitol are not only poignant, but let’s face it, pretty badass.  We should never forget what our own government did to black people and the indigenous people of this land, and how instrumental disarming these people was to their subjugation and likewise the exercised right of bearing arms was in preventing government tyranny. Why should we have any reason to believe this won’t happen again when history plainly shows that the most violent atrocities and genocides were carried out after guns were confiscated?

 

While maintaining a well-armed presence is necessary, I can’t discount the role of shaming the powers that be in gaining widespread support for a cause, and that is where I have tremendous admiration for the tactics of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King’s nonviolent approach provided a foil to the brutality of the state and its minions, and earned the empathy of the majority. You can’t be an island and survive, and winning the hearts of the majority is the most efficient way of gaining support and showing the true colors of the state. Inspired by Jesus Christ and Gandhi, Dr. King and his supporters used love as their guns, and though they got beaten and arrested, their mistreatment provoked a shift in morality that was the basis for a change in how we view other human beings and that human rights are universal regardless of race. Both tactics are useful in affecting change, and have their share of supporters according to the skills of individuals. I would say I fall on the side of nonviolence at all means unless I am being directly attacked.

 

We are at yet another pivotal point in this nation’s history where government power has increased to epic proportions, and more and more legislation restricts our basic rights. It’s almost the calm before the storm where it’s too late to completely turn around the police/surveillance state, but not quite time to break out the guns (I don’t believe the people have the adequate firepower to effectively fight the military). Because the size and scope of the military has grown so much along with the variety of weapons they could use against us, I cannot fathom full on war between the people and the state. This is why I am now more in favor of using love as the gun the win hearts and minds.

 

The internet has set back what I believe was a calculated plan to completely subjugate the US population, and it is an excellent weapon in this battle. We can delay government plans for more control through education. Malcolm X famously said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” and “Only a fool would let their enemy educate their children.” If at all possible, we must educate the next generation with the knowledge and understanding that we have gained because the state at this stage is the enemy, and public school is becoming more and more propagandized. I have been through the indoctrination schools, and though there were some bright stars working within the system, their light was dimmed by the overall darkness of the institution. Children are the future, and forcing them to start the day pledging allegiance to an inanimate object that represents an empire of destruction is waste of time at best and sickly nationalistic propaganda at worst. We can do better for our children and are living in the best possible time to utilize the tools we have to educate our own children. There’s really no excuse to be ignorant because we have access to more knowledge than ever before in history, and even if for financial reasons one must send their child to public school, we are armed with the abilities to unschool them from any misinformation they may be taught.   

 

Education begins with the children, but it doesn’t end with them. By working together and lovingly disseminating useful, practical information we can help people of all ages. I emphasize a loving approach above all because I have seen too many people turned away from good information because of the way in which it was presented. When someone is in the process of opening their eyes to the realties that surround them, their first instinct is to tell everyone they know about everything they are discovering and sometimes this results in information overload for the person receiving the truth and can end relationships between friends and families. Care must be taken to not dominate a conversation with inconvenient truths in a tone that is offensive or off putting, and I have been guilty of this before. It is not only an ineffective tactic, but can be damaging or hurtful to particularly sensitive people. If the liberty movement is to have a positive impact on the mainstream, we have to perhaps change our methods of speaking to people who have never heard of these ideas. I already see this change taking place, and it really gives me hope for the future.

 

 

 

Another way to protect ourselves would be to network with other like-minded people in our local communities. Building relationships based on trust and cooperation that will stick together is the best way to stay safe in times of duress. If we are indeed heading towards economic distress, having a trustworthy group and a plan can prevent you from becoming a victim in an unsettled world. In a way, we have to get back to the tribal mind set and really keep our friends and families close in these uncertain times. The spirit of love must dominate our relationships with others, and if the foundation is love you will be able to persevere through even the roughest of times.

 

In closing, I am choosing to stay in the country I was born in, and fight it out with the weapons of peace. I have no love for what this country has become, but my love for the great people I know is what drives me to keep fighting. If we can fight this battle with love and education, hopefully we won’t have to resort to guns, but in the circumstance that we do, now may be the best time to stock up for reasons of purely self-defense. We may be up against an ever growing, violent behemoth, but I don’t give up that easily.