“….. It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” Shakespeare

A nation of responsible, self-reliant and proud individuals cannot be vanquished.  A nation of sheep will be easily herded into the invisible fences of mounting laws, rules, regulations, restrictions and ordinances and attached to chains mounted on the walls, through the mechanism of taxes.  As each attack on individual freedom is tolerated by the masses, tyrants are emboldened to increase their injustices and diminish the freedoms of those they govern.

Today’s Americans were handed freedom on a platter, but at great cost.  That freedom came with instructions and constant warnings that it was fragile and could be easily lost, but only regained at an ever-increasing price.  It further came with a caveat that individual freedom must be accompanied by individual responsibility, self reliance and the ever-present awareness that there will always be those who will attempt to wrest freedom from our grasp and that freedom must be jealously guarded every year, every day, every hour, every minute and every second of life, lest those who seek absolute power will take your freedom from you.

But yee of little faith, do not despair, for the Vanguards of Freedom walk the halls of power in stealth, with eyes, ears and nose trained for the slightest hint of corruption, or the foul odor of rising tyranny.  They sing out their warnings daily, but only the wise will listen.  Corruption and tyranny seem to be the natural order of things.  Only the Vanguards will hold them in check by alerting the masses to what lies hidden beneath the treachery of rising, unlawful power.

Today, as we drown in the fog of our own prosperity and look for the easiest paths to take, while ignoring the clear and present dangers that confront us from foreign and domestic foes, men of courage and vision are still on guard.   They are still looking into the future and warning us of what lies ahead.  They are the vanguards, the scouts and the early-warning alarm to the many who have forgotten that freedom comes at a price.  These vanguards cannot hold onto freedom all by themselves.  They must be able to wake the masses from the deep sleep of apathy.   They are the signalmen of the “one-if-by-land”, or “two-if-by-sea” in the old North Church.  They are the activist that attends government meetings and holds politicians accountable for their actions, or in-actions.  They are the individuals who watch and listen and then act and get others to act, to “step on” the politicians who would exceed their constitutional authority, or unlawfully expand their power over the people.

It is the solemn duty of each generation to preserve, protect and defend their children’s freedom.  Our children’s future rests in our hands.   How can we let them down and still look in the mirror with pride?  How can we say that we have left the legacy of freedom for all those who follow us?

Let us together, “Light the Fire of Freedom” and keep it burning in the hearts and minds of all men and women forever.  Let not the difficulty of the task detour us.  America is a great, exceptional and a unique country.  She, her people and her freedom are worth saving and worth our sacrifice.

If America is to survive as a free, prosperous and sovereign land and as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world, it will be up to the millions of Americans who cherish freedom to use whatever means are required to defend and protect her.  We can only hope that soon, the people will wake from their slumber, and see and act on the vanguard’s signals, before it is too late.  The fate of individual freedom could very well hang in the balance.  There is mounting evidence that a grand awakening is already under way.

We’d like to pay tribute to our contemporary vanguards of freedom, those on the airways and those in print.  Although way too many to mention here, there a few notable voices.  On radio and TV are Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingram, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, etc. etc. etc.  In print are George Will, Charles Krauthammer and Thomas Sowell to name just a few.  But there are thousands more of unsung heroes that are keeping watch, while the rest of us go about our daily lives.  But for the vanguards, freedom would be fleeting indeed.

NOTE: The gist of this article is also contained in our new YouTube video.  To view the video, log onto:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsE2-Uy–Qw

© Copyright November 14, 2009 - All Rights Reserved

~ The Author ~
Ron Ewart is the President of The National Association of Rural Landowners and may reached for comment via email at r.ewart@comcast.net.