The Next Generation

“Freedom is nevermore than one generation away from extinction….”

-Ronald Reagan (Ronaldus Magnus)

Regan was absolutely correct.

Each successive generation has two separate windmills that they must battle.  Encroachment of bureaucracy and jingoism.   (The left loves to rally against our patriotic notions, our flags, and our homage to our Founders… To them jingoism is evidence of our bourgeoisie nature.  Unfortunately the left is typically more inclined to focus more of the fashion then the frame.  Their assault on the tapestry of patriotism simply misses the point altogether.  The real perniciousness assault is from a forgetting of why we exist in the first place:   Individual growth, the maximization of happiness, and the establishment of a free society where both can take place.)

As a society develops and moves in successive generations away from philosophical underpinnings of the Founders of that society, a spiderweb of laws and regulations begin to take hold.  Alexis de Tocqueville was quite the predictor that America would not succumb to a foreign invader… she would rot from over regulation.

He was prescient in his observations…

Ronald Regan articulated the obvious solution and dire warning.  Freedom is truly nevermore than one generation away from extinction.  Each generation must know what is at stake…. and how to fight for freedom.  Sometimes… sadly… the fight for freedom must come from the edge of a blade or the impact of a bullet.  Other times, it comes from the banging of a gavel or simply the education of our youth.  There are many “soldiers” each generation must enlist in the fight for freedom.  For as a long as human nature exists, the war between freedom and those who would enslave will continue to rage on.

So last weekend a “soldier” from the newest generation went to battle on behalf of freedom.  She is our daughter: Chaney.

(If you have arrived here from our newsletter continue reading here:)

Chaney is a member of an organization called JSA (Junior Statesman of American) think of this as a cross between Model UN and the Debate Club.  Throughout the country, high schools have JSA chapters that meet regularly and discuss and debate various political topics.  A few times a year, multiple chapters come together for “State” conferences where more formalized debates and resolutions are argued.   The political intrigue in this organization rivals “House of Cards” with calculated alliances and gambits taking place in vape filled hallways and backrooms.

The political culture of these groups is both diverse and extreme.  Cartoon Conservatives crowd for space amongst long haired Libertarians and Confused Communists.  The dynamic atmosphere is electric… with hundreds of high school kids developing their own political philosophy and becoming politically engaged.  Some of their ideas may be dangerous… some silly… and others… well others, can give us hope.

This last weekend Chaney went to a conference here in Irvine with about four hundred JSA students.  The theme for one of the debates was gun control.  Dr. John Lott, the economist and author of “More Guns Less Crime” was in attendance to debate members of the Brady Campaign.

Chaney debated the idea of allowing teachers with CCW’s to carry their guns in the classroom.

As you can imagine, her position was to allow teachers with valid concealed carry permits to carry in the classroom.  Her opposition appealed to a myriad of emotional pleas why weapons in the classroom… even concealed… would effect the harmonic balance of the universe.

Chaney focused instead on logic…

Logic and philosophy.

Asking a fundamental question:  who is empowered to decide if a student should continue to exist?  Clearly the “school shooter” should not be granted that power… yet they wield it none the less until someone or something of greater force is brought down upon the tyrant.  Clearly the teacher should not be allowed to decide who in their class lives or dies.  The teacher was never given authority over the student in matters of their continual existence.  Should the Principal be given that power?  The school Superintendent?  The Governor?  Congress?  The answer is none of the above.  The matter is; existence is an inalienable right that cannot be usurped by the the government  or anyone else for that matter.

Apparently, her compatriots and comrades liked her argument.  She was awarded the “gavel” for her debate performance and the powers of persuasion.

Freedom IS a mere generation away from extinction… We constantly see families coming into Artemis to train.  Fathers and Sons, Mothers and Daughters… whole families learning about gun safety, security… and for some… developing an appreciation for the culture of self reliance and rugged individualism that made us who we are:  fundamentally Americans.   I am humbled to know that a new generation of paladins are in training and taking up arms to defend her.