The Cause of Liberty

Finding New Heroes, Forging America’s New Future

What, or who will save America? How will America be saved? Can she be saved at all?

I recently found profound answers to these consequential questions from “Whale Rider,” the powerful movie about a young girl’s struggle to “confront the past, change the present and determine the future.”

From the website; “In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. In every generation for more than 1000 years, a male heir born to the Chief succeeds to the title. The time is now. The Chief’s eldest son, Porourangi, fathers twins - a boy and a girl. But the boy and his mother die in childbirth. The surviving girl is named Pai.

“Grief-stricken, her father leaves her to be raised by her grandparents. Koro, her grandfather who is the Chief, refuses to acknowledge Pai as the inheritor of the tradition and claims she is of no use to him. But her grandmother, Flowers, sees more than a broken line–she sees a child in desperate need of love.

“When Pai’s father, Porourangi, returns home after twelve years, Koro hopes everything is resolved and Porourangi will accept destiny and become his successor. But Porourangi has no intention of becoming Chief. He has moved away from his people both physically and emotionally.

“Koro is blinded by prejudice and even Flowers cannot convince him that Pai is the natural heir. The old Chief is convinced that the tribe’s misfortunes began at Pai’s birth and calls for his people to bring their 12-year-old boys to him for training. He is certain that through a grueling process of teaching the ancient chants, tribal lore and warrior techniques, the future leader of their tribe will be revealed to him.

“Meanwhile, deep within the ocean, a massive herd of whales is responding, drawn towards Pai and their twin destinies. When the whales become stranded on the beach, Koro is sure this signals an apocalyptic end to his tribe. Until one person prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the people. Pai, the Whale Rider.”

Pai, young and female in a tribe that values age and male leadership, rises to the occasion against all odds, finds and fills a critical need that she appears to be unqualified for, and instills courage, dignity, and vision to a struggling people. She is an unlikely heroine, the one seemingly least likely to be able to create change and have lasting impact. But she ignores the limited perceptions around her, stays true to her heart and intuition, and quietly, humbly, yet persistently takes the daunting path of leadership.

Pai is an example of precisely what and who will save America. Leadership needs a new story. If America wants to be saved from our various and urgent problems, we need fresh, new ways of viewing, approaching, and dealing with them. The old stories, the old leadership models, have proven to be ineffective at best, and destructive at worst.

The new story is that ordinary, common Americans will rise up from the trenches of daily living and become the heroes and heroines our culture has been waiting for. The silent majority will be silent no longer. The good-hearted will become the great-hearted. Earthly beings will rise up to their divinity. The weak and the simple will cut through layers of complex bureaucracy to find empowering principles, liberating natural laws, and transcendent truths. Then, through diligence and sincerity, they will become a beacon in the darkness, a foundation of strength in seas of change and corruption.

Americans will stop looking outward to blame others and upward to wait for the government to save them. They will instead start looking inward to themselves and downward to the People for solutions. Where before they relied upon force and institutions, they will rely upon voluntarism, charity, individuals, and families. Where before they waited for politicians to hash out solutions, they will act immediately and self-reliantly. Where before they depended upon “command and control” to get things done, they will now trust in the goodness of citizenship.

What will save America? Common citizens becoming the change they wish to see in the world. Common citizens doing uncommon things. Common citizens revolutionizing themselves, their minds, and their hearts, and in the process revolutionizing the nation at large.

Who are these citizens? You and I.

Can America be saved? Yes. That is if you and I put our privileges in proper perspective, rise to our duties as free citizens, and be examples to follow, voices to heed, and rocks to rely upon. Like Pai transcended her limitations of birth, age, and prejudice, we must transcend our own limitations to be 21st Century “Whale Riders.” As Pai’s ancestors called upon her, so do ours call upon us. The government will not save us. Politicians cannot save us. We must save ourselves.

Recommending Reading:

A Renaissance of Kings by Dr. Andrew Groft
A Separate Peace by Peggy Noonan
Finding Our Way: Leadership For An Uncertain Time by Margaret Wheatley

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Written By Stephen Palmer. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

If you were left wondering whether you should laugh or cry after reading my last post, you got the point.

America really is at a crossroads, a momentous point in history infinitely more critical than anything Rome, Greece, or the ancient Israelites ever faced because of how much our decisions impact the rest of humanity.

However, I’m an optimist at heart and believe that Americans can and will conquer any challenge, no matter how difficult or even if it is self-imposed. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “It is a part of the American character to consider nothing as desperate, to surmount every difficulty by resolution and contrivance.”

With this in mind, I wish to transcend the gloomy picture painted in my last post and offer the ten most important things that average Americans can do to ensure that our current decline doesn’t engulf us and last interminably.

10. Read at least one classic a month.

According to George Wythe College, “Classics are original works of depth and substance–writing, painting, sculpture, philosophy, music, theory, law, etc.–that engage the student in the great questions of life. Works that have wide application and scope, they offer valuable ideas to a variety of cultures and times, and can be applied to nations as well as communities, families and individuals. These timeless works change us and ask the hard questions that cut to the core of human nature and human institutions.”

Study the nature and anatomy of freedom through classics. Learn what it takes to preserve and promote freedom for yourself and your posterity.

9. Discuss the classics you read with groups of your peers on a regular basis.

Similar groups were formed long before the American Revolution erupted, and they had an integral role in shaping the views and direction of the entire populace. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

8. Keep entertainment in proper perspective.

We’re flooded with an infinite variety of ways to divert us from our highest potential and purpose. When entertainment becomes excessive, it prevents us from living the ideals necessary to sustain freedom.

7. Raise a family worth emulating.

Love and serve your family. Be true to your spouse, be kind and inspiring to and patient with your children. Take responsibility for the education of your children. Build America from the inside out with the solid bricks of family values and relationships.

6. Forgive those who have wronged you.

World peace will never be achieved until individuals become conscious of their own contribution to or detraction from that goal.

5. Be a person of integrity.

Keep your word, no matter how difficult, no matter how tempting it may be to follow the crowd and become casual. Do what you say you will do. Live what you say you believe.

4. Be vigilant about how you spend your private time.

As I have written elsewhere, “The ultimate measure of a person’s integrity is how they act when they are absolutely alone, and what they do when no one else will ever know. It is the quiet moments spent in solitude that determine if you are true to what you say you believe in.”

3. Become a constitutional scholar.

Know the Constitution backward and forward. Study its foundations. Study the works that its creators read. Learn what habeas corpus, bills of attainder, and ex post facto laws are. Learn what the different branches of government are authorized to do, and prohibited from doing. Know the intended balance between the States and the Federal Government.

2. Live your mission.

Discover, develop, and utilize your natural gifts and abilities. Do what you were born to do, even if it takes quitting your current job. Live the spirit of providence in your life. In the words of Steve Farber, “Do what you love in the service of those who love what you do.”

And the number one way to lead an American Renaissance is… Continue reading »

In a world of more than six billion people, it may often seem hard to believe that we can make an impact individually. However, the 20th Century genius Buckminster Fuller sheds some light on what one person can do by becoming what he calls a “trim tab.”

He said, “Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary–the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there’s a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab. It’s a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all. So I said that the little individual can be a trim tab. Society thinks it’s going right by you, that it’s left you altogether. But if you’re doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to go. So I said, call me a Trim Tab.”

Never underestimate the influence that you as an individual can have. Find what you were born to do, become a “trim tab” in your sphere of influence, and the world will change because of it.

Subscribe to the Sentinel, a free weekly newsletter boldly illuminating the principles of freedom in a darkening nation, and receive two free gifts now.

Written By Stephen Palmer. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

In the latest edition of Foreign Affairs is an excellent article by Stephen Flynn entitled “America the Resilient,” which gives his expert recommendations on how America should mitigate natural disasters and “defy terrorism.”

It’s a fascinating read from a well-known and respected expert on preparedness, and it should get every reader motivated to implement a sensible preparedness plan immediately.

The best way that I have ever seen to do this is through Joseph’s Storehouse, the “world’s first full-service preparedness and food storage company.”

I had a Joseph’s Storehouse rep come to my home to perform a free Emergency Preparedness Audit, a service to assess a family’s level of preparedness in home safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, and food storage. I was amazed at the level of depth and comprehensiveness of the audit, and it opened my eyes to how ill prepared my family is.

I’m not an alarmist, yet it only makes sense to be prepared for natural disasters, or other things spoken of by experts such as flu pandemics, terrorist attacks, and more.

Do your family a favor: Call Joseph’s Storehouse today at (435) 215-4838 and set up your free Emergency Preparedness Audit.

While you’re debating whether or not you’ll make the call, consider the… Continue reading »

We waste so much time and energy lamenting our flaws and weaknesses. If only I was taller, we think. If only I could sing better. If only I was a faster reader. If only I was a more persuasive public speaker. If only I didn’t have to wear glasses. If only I could run faster and jump higher. If only…

If only we could realize that our weaknesses are hidden pearls, possible goldmines of opportunity and success. Then we could fully submit to God, accept–rather than resist–our current state, embrace our weaknesses, and unleash our potential. Our weaknesses, far from being annoying obstacles, can be precious keys that open the doors to our success, wealth, and happiness.

It was precisely the weakness of the American army during the Revolutionary War that led Washington to be creative, to innovate and beat the British the only way that they could have been beaten. Thomas Jefferson was shy and considered himself a poor public speaker. Is it any wonder, then, that he found his voice through writing, and produced one of the most powerful political documents in all of history? Louis L’Amour began as a second-rate writer, and his numerous rejection slips propelled him to travel the world and work various jobs to gain the experience and insight that led his treasured tales of adventure.

Jacques Lusseyran, a leader in the French Resistance to the Nazis, also found his greatest strength because of a weakness.

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Information Age Casualties, and How To Reclaim Them

Why is it that the more digitally connected we become, the more we feel disconnected from the things that matter most?

Picture the following scene, played out many evenings in typical American homes. The father is on his computer in the office, finishing up some last minute work details and reading up on the latest election news on the internet, while the mother is watching TV in the living room. The son is downstairs playing video games while the daughter listens to music on her iPod in her bedroom while instant messaging with friends online.

As you picture this scene (and ponder what’s wrong with it), try to comprehend the magnitude of what we’ve accomplished in the Information Age, the ability to bring the entire world into our living rooms and bedrooms, the ability to connect in real time with almost anyone across the globe.

Want to learn about Zambia? A quick Google search brings up 124 million sites. Want to download the latest song from an obscure artist in Australia? You’re about two clicks away.

What’s the current price of crude oil? Who won Academy Awards? How many delegates does Barack Obama currently have? How can you defeat the final challenge on your favorite video game?

Whatever is on your mind, in whatever corner of the globe or concerning the most esoteric and specialized concepts, you have almost instant access to your questions. Technology has given us a brave new–and small–world, with more information, opportunity, and connectivity than our ancestors could even dream of.

And yet, in an age largely defined by connectivity, we’re losing our lifelines to the most important things. Specifically, there are three main connections that, ironically enough, are being systematically severed the more digitally connected we become.

What are those three connections, and how can we strengthen them in our own lives?

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What stories will your great-grandchildren tell about you?

I once stood in the cemetery where several of my ancestors have been laid. In a deeply sentimental mood I thought to myself, “How many stories cry from the ground here? How many hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows do these cold headstones represent? Can we even begin to comprehend all that these people went through for us to enjoy our freedom today?”

I quietly listened to my father as he told fascinating stories of these mysterious people I had never met. I began to feel an intimate bond with these faceless Pioneers.

The realization sank deep into my soul that we stand on the shoulders of Those Who Have Gone Before. But have we become Those Who Have Forgotten? It is critical that we remember our heritage; the future of our nation depends on it.

Allow me to help us remember by…

Continue reading »

I try to be an informed and responsible citizen by keeping abreast of all the news from as many sources as possible. But as I hear about major crises and problems such as the genocide in Sudan, our ever-increasing national budget deficit, the insurgency in Iraq, the bankruptcy rate in America, the state of public education and health care, poverty, environmental degradation, etc., I often find myself intensely frustrated and angry at my seeming inability to contribute to the solution of these problems. In a world of six billion people, it’s hard not to feel insignificant and simply give in to cynicism.

In my frustration I turn to our leaders, hoping that they will have the answers and the influence to solve problems that are beyond the control of the individual citizen. However, our elections are vivid illustrations that there is a dearth of solid, principle-based leadership in this country. Our political contests have been reduced to forcing us to choose not the best candidate, but the lesser of two evils. Are we to simply vote along party lines? Wait a minute–where are those lines drawn anyway?

The more I look outward, the more I am convinced that the answers do not lie outside of myself. John Adams wrote that “If worthless men are sometimes at the head of affairs, it is because worthless men are at the tail, and the middle.” In other words, our political leaders are mere reflections of our citizens. If we want our leaders to change, we have to change. Meaningful and lasting national and global change must be enacted from the inside out, not the outside in, and it starts not with the community or even the family; it starts with the individual.

Gandhi taught, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” If I want to see a peaceful world, then I must pursue peace within myself, with my spouse, my children, and my extended family. If I want to see a better system of education in America, then I must take initiative and responsibility to educate myself and my children.

Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I’m learning to focus instead on what I can do. I can’t pay off the national debt, but I can pay off my debt and balance my home budget. I can’t solve America’s health care problems, but I can live a healthy lifestyle. I can’t stop corporations from dumping environmental waste in our rivers, but I can maintain a clean home environment.

The reformation begins with me. As I change myself, it inspires others around me to change, spreading from my family, to my community, to my state, to my nation, and ultimately to the entire globe. Call me naive and idealistic if you must, but I won’t pay attention; I’m busy changing the world.

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Written By Stephen Palmer. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

All change involves both gains and losses; change is essentially the process of one exchanging with themselves. A person is constantly making decisions regarding this personal exchange, and through this process they can either degenerate or grow. One can choose to give up happiness, health, and wealth in order to gain laziness, fear, and bad habits and therefore degenerate, or one can give up laziness and fear in order to gain greater happiness, and therefore grow. There is no decision that does not carry both a gain and a loss.

The question you must answer is: What is it that you really, deeply want to gain and what are you willing to give up to get it?

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This attitude is a mockery of God and the gifts He has given us. In the Bible, in the book of Romans, chapter nine verse twenty, we read, “…O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why has thou made me thus?” In other words, Paul is telling us that we have no right or authority to question the wisdom of God, and our task, rather than questioning God, is to accept His will and to find the reasons why we have been blessed with our particular challenges.

For example, soon after Helen Keller was born, she lost her sight, hearing and speech. The victim way to view this is as an unfortunate tragedy; heroes look for the blessings inherent in such a challenge. By thinking and living as a heroine, Helen was able to bless the lives of millions through her amazing example. God was able to teach us the power of the human spirit through her.

What challenges are in your life? How are you facing them–as a victim or as a hero? What are you teaching others through your example?

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