When your own heart asks...

...how will you respond?

That's part of an old Japanese poem.  One can apply several meanings to it, I choose the simple and obvious: You can say what you want, you can play the tough guy, you can play the victim, but in the silence, in the darkness when it is simply you and your own Soul and you ask the question, whatever that question may be, you know the truth of it.

Deep down, you know if what you are saying, or the image you are putting forth to the world, is truth, or not.

I think there is a country song with a lyric that hits the same theme: No matter where you go, there you are.

You do not need to be a high-speed, low-drag Rambo for the coming sporting events.  You don't need to have been a Ranger or SEAL, you don't need 20 years in dojos.  You don't need to hit the X at 1,000 yards.  You merely need to say 'No', and mean it.  You merely need to be a man or woman who refuses to surrender your Liberty.  It has been said there are worse things than death, and I agree. 

Benjamin Franklin was a publisher, among other things.  John Hancock, some say, was a smuggler among other pursuits.  George Washington was a land speculator.  Samuel Adams had a few unsuccessful businesses, and was even a tax collector before turning to Colonial politics.

Jesus was a carpenter.

One's profession does not define the person.  No man or woman should ever feel unqualified to take point in the pursuit of Liberty, or to hold one's tongue in matters of politics.  You have as much right to speak your mind as anyone and everyone else.  Enemies of Liberty will use any tactic to discredit you, to try to minimize your effectiveness, to undermine your confidence in yourself.

The Citadel is being built by people with vastly varied work experience.  Our common bond is our love and desire to ensure that Liberty does not die while we are alive.  We came up with a plan.  Hundreds of us weighed-in over several months.  The plan is outside the box, to say the least.  But we got to work.  When we were fleshing out the idea for our bastion of Liberty and the need for a place that would be safe in an America that may suffer serious hardships, we took many decisions that offended some people, other people mocked, others didn't care.  Some attacked.

Yet we got to work.  Jim Miller took point on the cornerstone of the Citadel, the sine qua non - 'that without which' - III Arms.  Without III Arms, no Citadel.  The man applied to ATF and received his 07FFL to build firearms in the III name (Trademarked, thank you very much), with proceeds going to make our dream of a community come to life.  There are a dozen or so people working every single day, for several hours each day, after working a full day, juggling time with the family, to make advances in aspects of the Citadel that need to be accomplished.  Sacrifices are being made financially, emotionally, and even reputations are on the line.

Our bond is Liberty.

Not religion.  Not some stupid racist meme.  Not even politics, per se. 

Liberty, as defined by Jefferson.

We have hundreds of people who support in many ways.

The Citadel has enemies from many sides, and it will only get worse as we continue to succeed.  It will be a fight to make it happen.  And make no mistake, we are succeeding in ways that many of us could have never dared hope.  We made Drudge's prime spot in 6 months. 

So, we'll fight when we must.

We'll reason when we can. 

We'll lean on the words of William Lloyd Garrison: With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.

For when Miller, and I, and Holly, VJ, MC, Mike M, DC, Alan, Bill, Peter, Leslie, Miss V, Craig, and every other Patriot who supports the ideal of Liberty that this project represents is alone with nothing but our own Souls, when our own hearts ask, the answer is one of truth.

Some people only offer moral support - and that is invaluable.  Some people will disagree on minor points, so be it.

We do what we do not for glory, for profit, for fame or for Ego.

We do what we do for Liberty.

And Liberty deserves any sacrifice asked of any one of us.

Each of us will do whatever we need to do to ensure that Liberty is preserved in our lifetimes.

I am proud to stand with each and every one of you.

Whatever challenge may come our way, I have no problem taking point, taking the punches and giving back until I am no more.

You are worth it.

Liberty is worth it.

How can you help?

Hold the line.

K