Quiet Acts Of Liberty
I would like to introduce Taegan, our newest Liberty First intern. She describes herself as:
Being a Liberty First intern means that you get to try lots of different foods and go to new restaurants while on the road. Today, Colton got to pick what was for lunch and he picked a place called Blaze Pizza. This might have been the coolest pizza joint I have ever been to; it was like the Subway of pizza! Each person gets to create their own personal sized pizza and then watch while it cooks in an oven of fire. Let me tell you, this pizza tasted just as good as it looked. I wasn’t able to finish mine, and Colton said that was weak. I retorted that he couldn’t eat his entire pizza, and there a wager was formed. Tip: never make a bet with Colton Hall when it comes to food, especially pizza. Sure enough, he licked the platter clean, and now I owe him ice cream. But my favorite part of the experience at Blaze Pizza in Spokane, WA, was talking to the owner. He was mingling with everyone in the restaurant, and he presently made his way over to our table. Colton and I had already spoken with him once while KrisAnne was on the phone with Southwest, but the second conversation is what I want to tell you about. He inquired what we were doing in town, and KrisAnne told him all about the Liberty First mission and how it aims to properly teach the Constitution and train people to defend their liberties. He was so astonished to hear about what KrisAnne does and expressed much appreciation for her dedication. Then, he asked if we had heard of Hillsdale College. You can imagine the look on his face when I told him that I am a student there. I even gave a recruitment speech for him to relay to his daughter about why she needs to attend.
I offered to give them a tour when they decided to come and visit campus. He is shown here in the photo. These are the kinds of interactions that makes Liberty First what it is. Quiet, almost unnoticed moments that sow the seeds of liberty in the everyday people of America.
There is a historical act of liberty that, despite common misconception, was completed quietly and solemnly. This event I am referring to is the Boston Tea Party on March 31, 1774. Many portrayals of the famous tea-dumping depict patriots dressed as Mohicans angrily throwing the crates over and behaving in a manner that suggests riot ensued. This, however, was not the case. As KrisAnne explained in her Disarming of America class, the Boston Tea Party was actually a very silent, reserved protest. The men did not riotously storm and loot the ship, but very calmly obtained the key from the ship-master, took care of their business, and left quietly. They even repaid the East India Trading Company for the money lost in damages. We don’t see these peaceful protests in America today. Instead, we see mobs and riots that destroy, loot, and set afire private property. And to do what, exactly? They are not fighting for liberty because by damaging others’ property, they violate the liberty of others. Protests, on the other hand, properly exercise the freedom to assemble in order to stand against injustice.
I learned about countless other quiet acts in the name of liberty; some of which I had never before heard. Mercy Otis Warren wrote plays about the principles of liberty throughout the colonies. Wives and daughters of wealthy merchants and notable businessmen courageously signed their names on a document; refusing to purchase the taxed goods the British crowned mandated. An elderly woman convinced British regular troops that a patriot army was on its way so that Paul Revere could escape and warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock. All of these actions were done in the name of liberty, and are generally unheard of or go unnoticed today. What if these people of the past hadn’t done their part? You see, every single person has their own role to play in securing and defending liberty. Whether it’s teaching the Constitution and education the public like KrisAnne Hall, or simply exercising your five 1st Amendment rights on a regular basis, you are living a liberty lifestyle. If every American plays their part, we will be well on our way to restoring the republic.
Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.
-A Devoted Patriot