The personal attributes that combined to produce the alchemy that was the birthing of America, were
held by the Founders' Generation, individually and together. These were the ingredients provided by the
original Patriots for the feast of Independence, in measures large and small. It is incumbent on the heirs of
that legacy to protect, refresh and replenish the table of Democracy and pass the bounty to posterity.

Fear that the revolutionary fire that burned in the hearts of the first patriots becomes domesticated and
reduced, unable to re-ignite to surmount the persistent challenges to the republic.

Appreciation and practice of these attributes will contribute to the enduring success

of the democratic experiment for generations to come.

--

The Vision of the Founding Mothers and Fathers provided the map to the establishment and growth of
the nation. Patriots known by most – Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, Jay and
Madison, but also - Parker, Henry, Morris, Rush, Hancock, Jouett, Broom, Sherman, Gorham, Thomas, Warren
and countless others no less committed to self-determination, saw the road to a free America and led the
way, entreating us to follow. These men and women saw the mountain from all sides and looked to the

horizon beyond. We stand on their shoulders.

​

Courage is the fuel that ignited and sustained the effort to achieve personal and political freedom.

When informed by truth, and grounded on virtuous morality, the courage to risk life, property and

personal injury is a vital ingredient to necessary patriotic action.

Know that Courage grows stronger the more you exercise it and will distinguish you from the opposition.

Choose dangerous freedom over peaceful submission.

​

Loyalty to fellow compatriots is the connective tissue to the cause for American Liberty, then and now.

The colonial patriots defeated a superior military force in large part due to the Loyalty they showed each
other - Loyalty, not to a religion or false crown, but to their leaders and to one another.

Pledge and sustain your Loyalty to those who most deserve it; those that earn it, not demand it.

These are the people who remain with you in the darkest moments and will brave the shadows,

without a price, save for reciprocation in-kind. Demand honesty and do not suffer traitors.

Be devoted to that which you know is right and just - unflinching but unscrupulous loyalty is for henchmen.

​

Persistence is the most indispensable of the many indispensable attributes in epic struggles such as war for
Independence from tyranny. Persistence requires great measures of patience and fortitude.

Strength and Leadership are critical to success in all challenging endeavors, but Persistence is the ultimate
key to prevail. Many obstacles are placed on the road to self-determination by those violently opposed to

that goal, and dear sacrifice may certainly be required. 

Persistence under duress is how we discover who we truly are.

More detrimental to success in the conflict with tyranny is the corrosive effect of the many naysayers that
feign support but flee to the safe harbor when the first battle is drawn. These are the vermin who gnaw at
one’s Persistence when it is needed most. Lack of Commitment to the supreme cause of Liberty will force
many to turn to surrender or treason. These are the little people that can only feel tall by the fall of those
who endeavor to march towards the beckoning horizon. Be careful who you trust to have your back.

Devotion to a Just Cause is the fraternal twin of Persistence,
for you must treasure the cause more than the costs of sacrifice to attain it.

The core Energy for dogged persistence comes from the truth and virtue inherent in the quest for Freedom.

Persistence is a learned behavior necessary to achieve the righteous object of your devotion.

​

Strength comes in many flavors - physical, mental, emotional, moral, financial, strength of character and
will, - none possess all in full measure, but when combined in common cause, anything is achievable.
The ability to wield power is an evident strength, but resilience and flexibility are equally awesome.

Moderate strength is exhibited in violence, but superior strength is exhibited in levity. Those that oppose
Freedom and Fairness have little sense of humor. They replace mirth and generous comedy with spiteful
and selfish entertainment, usually at the expense of others. Shaming and ridicule from behind a bejeweled
mask hide their fundamental lack of spirit and substance – their jealousy. This weakness provides a way to

identify the opposition when they attempt to hide in plain sight.

Pomp and circumstance are hallmarks of the enemies of the righteous. When crisis comes and the
costumes and props are gone, there is nowhere for weakness and pretense to hide.

The Founders were built of contradictions and those opposing forces gave them strength and balance,

like an arch, each stone pressing the next - strength through unity.

Strength can be honed and become an inspiration to others.

Being too comfortable causes our best attributes to wither. Venture from your comfort zone.
Assess and exercise your strengths and proceed with the certain knowledge that

the darkness holds nothing more terrible than you.

True strength in the prosecution of a just cause is quietly ruthless.

​

All Patriots understand, if only intuitively, that Generosity holds two veiled truths.

First, the paradox of altruism – that the more one gives freely and without expectations, the more they
ultimately receive in return. This act of faith requires generosity of spirit and pure motives.

Second, that Generosity serves to heal and bind together their compatriots under traumatic
circumstances, providing reinforcement to the perpetual struggle for Freedom even when dealt severe
blows. The isolation and personal destruction from trauma, especially at the hands of an adversary,

can be repaired by simple and pure Generosity, connecting the injured to the supportive

Community and the mutual benefits it contains.

True Generosity is discrete and expects no praise or reward. Practitioners of generosity know what the
selfish do not – that the pursuit of happiness is enriched and accelerated by untethered giving to others,
especially when that charity enables others to recover and be self-sufficient and productive.

False charity, meant to constrain and manipulate those fearful and subdued, is fundamentally evil.

The belief in a higher, creative power was essential to the foundational character of the original Patriots.
Divine providence was the bolster for the Founders to mutually pledge to each other their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor in the struggle against tyranny. We must summon that power today.

The Founders were careful to promote religious tolerance but not religious requirements, leaving each to
their own beliefs. This concept of unobstructed free will, limited only by the equal rights of others, is
elemental to the fabric of our country. The Founding Generations were informed and molded by their
respective beliefs. Those elements of faith in Nature’s God, instilled in them the capacity for compassion,
cooperation, forgiveness, understanding, respect, appreciation, gratitude, sacrifice - all facets of
Generosity. This provided the motivation to reach a higher, better self and attain an immutable, moral
self-sufficiency – necessary attributes to sustain Freedom in a complex and treacherous world.

​

True Leadership is a rare commodity. Most, who call themselves leaders, especially in the political and
institutional arena, are content to reach their highest level of incompetence with prestige, if not grace.
The irony of the American experience is that it has succeeded too well. The richness and opportunity that
is our inheritance, has too often produced bloated and corrupted institutions that have grown to their
illogical extremes. Inhabiting these hollow halls are the many denizens of the

bureaucratic swamp who have come to value positions and titles over genuine service.

These creatures are annoying at best, and dangerous at worst.

The concept of servant leadership embodied in the original Founders has been eroded by the very success
they sought, replaced in many quarters by unjust enrichment and lust for power and control.

Beware perpetual politicians. Those who are best suited to leadership are those who have never sought it.
Rather, when circumstances thrust them to the fore, they take up the mantle because they must, driven by

a reluctant call to duty, returning to civilian life when the danger has passed. They make the best leaders
in a democracy because they are less likely to fall in love with power and the attendant lubricants of
tainted money and selfish influence. Follow those who seek to inspire the conscience of Freedom and

Equality, not those in vainglorious costume who enable the cultural vandals.

Tyranny is jealous of its power and prestige, and fearful of dissent to the point of ruthless measures in its
defense. Take solace in the fact that the enemies of Freedom and Justice lack a firm, positive core of beliefs
and thus suffer debilitating moral cowardice and systemic rot. Theirs is an ephemeral, selfish view of
humanity that crumbles under pointed pressure from the righteous. Their leaders are empty bespoke suits.
Look beyond their fatuous posturing and know that corrosive self-destruction will ultimately be their ruin,
defeated by their avarice and poisoned by their own venom. They will always be vulnerable to
counterassault by the Patriots who carry the banners of Liberty to herald a providential victory.

​

Devotion to a Just Cause is the synonym of Loyalty to a Righteous Individual.

Those that devote themselves to the cause of Freedom, and its vigorous defense, understand the risks and
see themselves capable to confront the shared challenge from those who would oppose that mission.

A strong sense of self-worth must underpin the desire to protect and defend the

patriotic movement against those who would deprive its members of their Natural Rights.

A great advantage accrues to those who are propelled by pure and selfless motives, for the opposition has
no such drive to sustain their efforts beyond the dark and ephemeral energy of greed and hate.

A Patriot’s connection to the larger community is an extension of those they hold most dear – family,
friends and neighbors. These expanding Rings of Community move outward from the core Individual
and their immediate circles, passing business associates, affiliates and countrymen, with global concern at
the outer edge of the priority. The faceless group occupies the least important ring in this universe,
subordinate to all the others. This is diametrically opposed to the ideals of collectivism which moves

in the opposite direction, relegating the faceless individual to the lowest rung.

The pernicious nature of collectivism cannot peacefully co-exist with Individualism.

It would be naive to think that the defensible Rights exist only within the confines of one’s immediate
environs. Engaging with the enemy when they are breaching at the horizon is more desirable than when
they are on your doorstep. Indeed, the common devotion and willing defense of the American ideals is at
the heart of what it means to be an American Citizen. Those who are flaccid in defense when the forces of
tyranny come for their neighbors and fellow citizens will not be saved by their own silence.

Do not confuse an affinity towards the bureaucratic government with devotion to country.

In many ways, American government has grown to a toxic level

that degrades the very ideals that it was created to advance and defend.

Being devoted to the bureaucratic state is supplication at best, and necrophilia at worst.

There is a dangerous beauty in un-conflicted devotion to a worthy cause.

When you fully devote yourself to a deserving ideal then you become something greater than yourself.

The credit belongs to those who join the fray, who strive valiantly, who risk their own in a worthy
endeavor; who at best relish the triumph of moral victory; and at worst, fail while daring greatly.

Their lot shall not be with the poor souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

​

A tremendous amount of Energy is necessary to escape the gravitational pull of comfort & complacency,

and maintain the rigors of defending the eternal flame of Liberty.

All aspects of life in the pursuit of happiness and the patriotic ideals must be tempered with the recurring

tariff required to maintain those benefits. Freedom is not free.

With the original Patriots, and continuously since, Americans have paid the price of the American Dream,
with hard work, practical innovation, physical defense of the country, intellectual defense of the American
ideals; often with the sacrifice of personal opportunity, family treasure and, at times, with their very lives.

A level of sustained energy is required to maintain a vigilant posture in the protection of the

Natural Rights and the advancement of the American Spirit.

Healthy, active lifestyle and respect for the limits of the body Human is essential to the personal energy

levels one must maintain for effective prosecution of the war in defense of Liberty.

Leave sloth and indolence to the collectivists and bloated bureaucrats. It is their ideological imperative.

Physical and mental fitness should replace mind-numbing technology dabbles and energy-draining
chemical dependencies. Dalliance with recreational use of natural, escapist intoxicants has been with our

population almost since its founding, as is one’s rightful choice, with no end likely or desired. Like many
temptations that begin relatively harmless, use of artificial diversions has too often metastasized

into addictive and destructive habits that may debilitate and destroy the individual and those they love.

Choose to enjoy all things in moderation, especially those prone to addiction and abuse.

Exercise your freedoms responsibly.

Recharge of Body, Mind and Spirit can be achieved with the timeless cures of Culture, Arts and Music.

​

The Brilliance of the Founders is evident, not just in their spoken and written record, but also in the
enabling documents and resulting institutions that have since evolved from their efforts.

They understood that not all the societal imperfections that existed at the time of the Founding were
immediately solvable. Emancipation, the equal rights of Women, equity for Native Americans,
Community Compacts and a host of other issues would need to be addressed and healed over time.

Theirs was, and still is, a work in progress. The Founders provided the tools and gateway for

posterity to continue and expand the mission that they began.

Fear the Brilliance of the Founders will be unappreciated and denounced by the merely intellectual

and those that lack a sense of the arc-of-time and our relative place on it.

Some may look at the advances of technology since the time of the Founding as a panacea, a triumph of
intellect over nature. It is not. To the extent they support the goals of the American ideals and

Natural Rights, practical technology and honest innovation should be enabled and encouraged.

Certainly, rich & generous Commerce, and shared, higher quality of life are beneficiaries of technological
advancements, yielding efficient processes and tools – magnifying and quickening the Pursuit of Happiness.

This should accrue to the benefit of, and not at the expense of, the fundamental rights to privacy, security,
freedom of speech, or a fair press. When the platforms of technology violate those rights, they need to be
reformed or extinguished. Beware the novelty of new and shiny technology brought forth by those with

more intelligence than wisdom. Do not confuse glitter with brilliance.

​

Friendship and the felicity that comes from communion with others, compels us to be the best possible
versions of ourselves when, if acting alone, our lesser angels might seek to distract and misdirect us.

Personal responsibility and self-sufficiency in all things represent primary tenets of American Democratic
Capitalism. Like the paradox of Generosity, reliance on the Friendship of others serves to provide bright
energy to one who is self-reliant. Mutual empowerment comes from true Friendship. Conversely, false
friendship used for ego, advancement, or favor, is corrosive and ultimately destructive to both parties.
Know who your friends really are before you must risk yourself or others at their mercy.

Extending the hand of friendship beyond the intimate circle of those closest to you is the definition of
Community. Welcoming qualified aspirants to the larger, national Community is an extension of this
principle. Fresh Americans often prove more committed to the country, and its ideals, because they have
fled other lands and governments that do not practice American Democratic Capitalism.

America is where the miracle is.

Immigrants, who wish to properly pursue the American dream and are willing to assimilate, contribute
and abide by our foundational principles and just law, should be welcomed and encouraged.

Those that do not, or come to our shores as illegal aliens, must be turned away or removed.

​

Commitment is about action informed by Vision. The Founders molded the substance and spirit of
Natural Laws and Rights to form the Cause of Freedom. Theirs was a call to action that recognized that
Vision without execution is self-flagellation at best, and hallucination at worst. They understood there is
magical power in bold commitment; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, providence moves
too to provide necessary and unrealized aid and support, sometimes in surprising and unpredictable ways.

It is difficult to commit yourself to a cause. The armor of duty is heavy and uncomfortable.
Understand that commitment to the cause of Freedom is a promise to yourself and your own ideals.

Recognize that Duty may require one to look beyond the equivocation or wanting of those in leadership.
When your mettle is tested in the struggle, remember why you started down this road and why it is
important. Whatever comes, know that you have stayed true to the cause and to yourself.
Determine a fair and reasoned course and move forcefully in that direction, despite any obstacles.
At times, successes in the battle against tyranny will come quickly. At other times they will be painfully
slow to arrive. Your obligation as a beneficiary of the noble democratic experiment is to keep forging
ahead no matter what. Countless Patriots have suffered persecution, ridicule, and repression, often
without a movement to support and sustain them. Sowing the seeds of American ideals may bear fruit

beyond our vision or time. Trust that effort will survive beyond us and nourish future generations of patriots.

Adversity leads to either Greatness or despair. Choose Greatness.

Perhaps women are best suited to the fight for freedom and protection of the Natural Rights. The
feminine attributes of moral power, greater intuition, innate intelligence, self-sacrifice, and power of
endurance make women particularly attuned to the cause of liberty and less prone to temptations of surrender.

Women can be formidable adversaries and ruthless protectors of what they hold dear. The original Patriot
Women rose to the defense of Liberty with little recognition or station. The great advantage in the
modern struggle for the American ideals is patriotic women will not be silent or relegated to the wings.

​

The Brotherhood that bound the original Founding Fathers together in common cause has evolved into a
fraternity of men and women with the same fervor and dedication to protect and defend the Liberty Tree.
The modern brotherhood is gender-neutral, comprised of all manner of siblings in the Freedom Family.

Rivalry, disagreement and intramural conflict afflicted the Founders, just as one might expect from any
close-knit family. Their common devotion to the American cause overshadowed the lesser competitions
and drew the original Patriots towards the bright light of American exceptionalism.

There are three kinds of brothers – brothers by blood, brothers by choice and brothers by circumstance,
each with a different level of affinity. All may be our compatriots in the struggle against tyranny but those
that choose to join us are more likely to stay the course through rough waters, bonded by informed choice.

One should not hold resentment for those that tell us what we need to hear, they are among our truest
and most valuable friends. True brothers and sisters will tell us what we don’t want to hear but need to know. Heed uncomfortable honesty.

Just as the small colonial and pioneer towns held people who believed in similar ideals, joined in self-
defense, and practiced generosity to each other, the suburban and rural areas of modern America offer
the most conducive and fertile land on which to re-sow the seeds of independence, free of oppression and
want. Find a place where asking for help is not a weakness meant to simply lighten the load, but an offer
to others of the opportunity to prove their skills and value and participate in the community of patriots.

Enable people to show their worth in a world where they are not often validated. The favor will be returned.

Cities inversely diminish interconnection to their inhabitants as they grow. They are home to many new
and shiny things with the same allure as compels moths to a flame. There, government assumes the role of
provider to the huddled masses who become overly specialized and reliant – a place where people can fail
quietly and alone. It is the primary domain of collectivists who are comfortable with the faceless

anonymity of cities, eating government cheese with their tiny pink hands.

The glaring, hypnotic light of the urban environ makes it difficult to see both stars and truth.

America has been evolving toward a color-blind meritocracy since the founding, at times by fits and starts.
We all arrived by different boats to the same island. Native Americans have the most credible claim to the
right of place on the continent, but even they displaced another people to occupy the land.

Welcome anyone who embraces the ideals of American Democratic Capitalism to the Brotherhood.

Citizenship will be a common rung on the climb to the American Dream.