“I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematicks and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, musick, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelaine.”
John Adams, Letter to Abigail Adams, May 12, 1780.
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John Adams did not postulate what would happen when our society studied painting, poetry and music. But we now know what happens to freedom when we forget its price.
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
I fear that we have returned to the beginning where we must study politics and war to set our nation back on a course of Liberty. Whether the nation will survive intact is not a consideration. The only consideration is that our children must be free. At any cost to us.
The voting booth is now exposed as only a source of normalcy bias. Our politicians have been exposed as vain and aspiring men as Sam Adams warned:
“If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”
And he also gave us a pathway to rekindle the spark of freedom:
“It does not take a majority to prevail. but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”
I will never look into the eyes of my children and feel shame for not fighting. Who else will set brushfires of freedom in the minds of men against these domestic enemies?
David DeGerolamo
