Critical Thinking in Critical Times

09/27/2025

LIGHT AND DARKNESS: KNOWING, OBEYING, AND THE PERIL OF REFUSAL (Word Count: 654)

Part 3 of 4 — “Nicodemus Chooses the Light”

Synopsis: At the cross, Nicodemus stepped out of the shadows. Bearing wealth, risk, and reputation, he chose the light — a costly act of public allegiance to Christ.

A friend cautioned me that I may have judged Nicodemus too harshly. After all, he did take a risk at the cross, and stepping out of the shadows was no small thing. I have reconsidered my earlier “legalistic” take, and in the spirit of Harry Callahan’s line in Magnum Force — “A man has to know his limitations” — I admit mine. Reflection sharpens us all, especially when we are too quick to measure another man’s heart.

John’s Gospel tells us that after Jesus breathed His last, Joseph of Arimathea came to claim the body. And with him was Nicodemus, “who earlier had come to Jesus by night,” now bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds (John 19:39–42). The Synoptic Gospels are silent. Only John, inspired by the Spirit, preserves this detail.

It was not a small gesture. The spices were expensive, the quantity extravagant, an honor fit for kings. To associate openly with a condemned man risked status, wealth, even safety. Nicodemus was not hiding anymore. He stepped into the light of public witness, and his act was probably costly.

We can debate motive. Was it only respect? Was it quiet devotion? Was it an attempt to dignify death while avoiding the demands of discipleship? The Gospels do not answer. But the act itself mattered. A man who once came in darkness now walked onto Golgotha in the light of day. He put his hands to the work of burial. Obedience may begin in small steps, but it begins.

The Scriptures often remind us that faith is not always measured by clarity but by courage. Ruth left Moab with Naomi saying, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). The thief on the cross had only the breath of a confession, “Jesus, remember me” (Luke 23:42). Nicodemus’ spices, lavish and heavy, may stand as his own confession. However imperfect, it pointed him toward the Light.

Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The proof that I am in vital contact with Jesus is that I can face the reality of life as it is.” Nicodemus faced that reality at last. He touched the lifeless body of the Son of God. He saw blood and bruises, thorn and nail. And in that moment he chose to be identified with Christ. Whatever confusion had marked his earlier questions, whatever caution had guided his defense of procedure, this was a step into daylight.

Providence weaves even ambiguous deeds into God’s plan. The Sanhedrin pressed for the tomb to be sealed and guarded, fearful that disciples might steal the body. In truth, the seal and the soldiers only strengthened the testimony of the resurrection. Nicodemus’ spices, Joseph’s tomb, the guard — each detail intended to quash hope only made the empty tomb more undeniable. What men meant for denial, God used for proof.

So was Nicodemus faithful or fearful? Courageous or cautious? The text leaves much unsaid. But one thing is clear: the man who once crept by night stepped into the light. He chose Christ, and in that act he declared his allegiance.

Respect is not the same as discipleship, but it can be the first step. Nicodemus made his choice. He chose the light by coming out of the shadows. And that choice still challenges us: when the cross demands a decision, will we hide, or will we step into the light?

Commentary note: Later traditions — from apocryphal texts like the Gospel of Nicodemus to the veneration of Nicodemus as a saint — sought to fill in the silence. But John’s Gospel, inspired by God, gives us enough. Nicodemus stepped into the light at the cross, and that is the witness that still speaks.

09/25/2025

LIGHT AND DARKNESS: KNOWING, OBEYING, AND THE PERIL OF REFUSAL (Word Count: 657)
Part 2 of 4 — “Why Men Love the Dark”

Synopsis: John lays bare the reasons men cling to darkness: it hides evil, it feels easier, it blinds, it deceives, and it enslaves. The same patterns that marked the first century echo loudly in our own.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, and he never left the shadows. Part 1 showed us how knowledge without obedience leaves a man safe in the dark. John takes that picture and makes it plain: “Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). Darkness is not neutral. It is chosen, loved, and defended. Why?

1. Darkness Hides Evil
“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). Darkness is the refuge of what men will not face. In politics it cloaks corruption with polished words. In the courts it bends arguments to disguise intent. In our day, censorship and media spin are used not to guard the public, but to guard the powerful. Augustine once said, “Men love the darkness of ignorance, because it gives them room to sin.” Exposure is always the enemy of those who profit from shadows.

2. Darkness Offers Comfort
“They loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). Darkness feels easier. It makes no demands. Many today would rather drown in entertainment, wealth, or distraction than face conviction. And there is no greater comfort for the powerful than a darkness that masks their evil. Power becomes its own reward, and darkness its security blanket — keeping them unchallenged, unquestioned, and undisturbed. As Lord Acton warned, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Nicodemus knew that comfort well. When Jesus was pressed by his enemies, he did not defend Christ’s teaching, but the Sanhedrin’s procedure: “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing?” (John 7:51). It was a lawyer’s maneuver, a safe retreat into man-made rules. His obedience was to process, not to the person of Christ. Shadows gave him cover; the light demanded courage. Comfort itself becomes an addiction, whether through rituals, rules, or possessions. The light calls for courage. The dark asks for nothing.

3. Darkness Blinds the Heart
“But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him” (John 11:10). Darkness confuses. Cancel culture mobs prove the point — striking down what they do not see clearly, silencing voices out of fear more than truth. Blindness leads to stumbling, and stumbling often ends in violence. Pilate’s weary words still echo: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). It was the blindness of a man who would rather wash his hands than open his eyes.

4. Darkness Deceives
“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). Darkness often wears the mask of light. Lies are repeated until they sound true, and hatred is recast as virtue. Today it comes in propaganda, in AI forgeries, in voices deciding which opinions are “safe” to hear. Augustine wrote, “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose, it will defend itself.” But men prefer lies that flatter rather than truth that convicts.

5. Darkness Enslaves
“Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). What begins as choice becomes chain. Debt, drugs, lust, anger, and greed — all promise freedom but end in slavery. Even lawfare now enslaves, burying opponents under endless lawsuits, not to find truth but to crush resistance. The darkness always offers liberty, but always delivers bo***ge.

John’s words cut across centuries. Men love the dark because it hides, soothes, blinds, deceives, and enslaves. And yet, the good news remains: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Darkness is not the end. The light of Christ exposes, but also heals. It convicts, but also frees.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Simplicity is the secret to seeing clearly.” The world’s arguments may be clever, but obedience is plain. To step into the light is to choose honesty over comfort, truth over lies, freedom over chains.

Men may love the dark, but children of the day are called to love the light. Only in that light can the spirit live, the truth stand, and hope shine.

09/25/2025

LIGHT AND DARKNESS: Part 1 of 4 — “Born Again or Blind Again?” (Word Count: 701)

Synopsis: Nicodemus, a Pharisee and “a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1), saw the signs of God but missed the meaning. He is the picture of an educated fool—skilled in law and language, yet blinded by unbelief. His story warns that knowledge without obedience is a polished path to ruin.

A few days ago Diane and I were reading John’s Gospel, and our conversation settled on Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night, cautious but curious. John calls him “a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1), a Pharisee with standing in the Sanhedrin. He was not hostile, not dismissive. He saw the signs and admitted, “We know you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Yet when Jesus told him, “You must be born again,” Nicodemus faltered.

Here was a man trained in law, skilled in words, and careful with procedure. He knew how to ask questions and frame arguments. But legal skill is no substitute for spiritual sight. Nicodemus responded as a lawyer might: “How can a man be born when he is old?” Clever, literal, but blind. Argument instead of obedience. Debate instead of surrender.

That is the danger of rhetoric. Words can be used not to seek truth but to shield from it. Arguments can cover unbelief as easily as they can uncover it. And when power is involved, the temptation grows stronger. Lord Acton’s warning proves timeless: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Nicodemus held influence as a ruler of the Jews. To step into the light would not only change his heart, it would risk his position, his standing, and his safety. Shadows became his shield. The dark allowed him to ask questions without cost. He saw the light, but he chose the comfort of night.

Paul described the same condition in Romans 1: “They became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). The problem is not ignorance but refusal. Light is present, but men prefer not to walk in it. From the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Mercy covers ignorance. But when knowledge is clear and obedience withheld, judgment follows.

Nicodemus is a caution, not an exception. He shows us that education and argument cannot save. He reminds us that respectability is no refuge. He warns that one can acknowledge the signs of God and still miss His call. To know and not obey is to live in shadows, deceiving oneself that delay is not denial.

Oswald Chambers once wrote: “You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion.” Nicodemus proves this. He thought long, but never obeyed. He reasoned well, but never surrendered. Endless thought without obedience only deepens the dark.

Our own age mirrors his. We are awash in words—political speeches, court opinions, media spin—where language is crafted to persuade but not to reveal. Rhetoric is often used not to seek truth but to secure power. Censorship is dressed as safety, while corruption hides under polished phrases. Clever arguments may win the moment, but they do not bring light. Argument without obedience is still blindness. And power without truth is corruption wrapped in shadows.

Jesus told His disciples that when a town rejected the message, they were to shake the dust off their feet (Matthew 10:14). Why? Because the people had seen enough to know. Knowledge without obedience is self-deception. And when self-deception spreads across a people, it becomes darkness dressed up as wisdom.

Nicodemus stands as the Gospel’s warning. A Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, a man of learning—yet one who stayed in the night. He saw the light but never stepped into it. His story presses us with the same choice: will we argue our way deeper into blindness, or obey our way into sight? For only those who walk in the light will find life.

09/21/2025

Sept. 21, 2025 Morning Report — Weekend Edition Compliments of John Ellis

Here is a sample of just one of my primary news feeds. This is John Ellis' News Items. It is just a feed of 20 or so news items that I can peruse in minutes and delve deeper into those that interest me.

Some say I do not get the socialist leftie news. They would be mistaken. I just do not get yelled at by cable legacy media. The sources of the story are disclosed, and this is a sample for you to try, accompanied by an offer of a free month for a larger taste.

14 days free trial through substack -

https://substack.com/redirect/8ed3ab58-fd30-47b2-b742-81851cc1a5fa?j=eyJ1IjoiMzloc2o2In0.aaYdYkZI_hJ0V-31f-grTEgH_K2A0M_ymLuJXUSK5e8

1. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday agreed to kick off a series of meetings with a summit in South Korea in six weeks, building on efforts to manage a trade war and determine control of the popular TikTok app. Trump announced the plans following what he characterized as a “very productive,” nearly two-hour phone call between the two on Friday, in the second such conversation since Trump returned to the White House. As the leaders seek to manage what is likely the most consequential foreign policy relationship in the world, Trump said that he would visit China early next year and that Xi would reciprocate in the United States “at an appropriate time.” “It was a very good talk. We talked about trade, we talked about war, we talked about a lot of things. We talked about Russia, Ukraine, obviously, and Gaza,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. We “talked about a lot of subjects. It was a long call. It was a good call. We have a very good relationship.” (Source: washingtonpost.com)

2. President Vladimir Putin has concluded that military escalation is the best way to force Ukraine into talks on his terms and that President Trump is unlikely to do much to bolster Kyiv’s defenses, according to people close to the Kremlin. Russian forces have already stepped up their attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine since the two leaders met in Anchorage last month and President Volodymyr Zelenskey rejected Putin’s demand to give up more territory in eastern Ukraine. Putin intends to continue targeting Kyiv’s energy network and other infrastructure, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive information. The talks in Alaska left Putin convinced that Trump has no interest in intervening in the conflict, they added. (Source: bloomberg.com)

3. NATO jet fighters intercepted Russian war planes that violated Estonia’s airspace Friday, causing the tiny Baltic state to call for formal consultations with members of the Western alliance. The Russian jet fighters were in Estonian airspace for 12 minutes and left after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aircraft responded, said Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. It marked the second time in two weeks that a NATO member invoked Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty, triggering formal discussions. (Source: wsj.com)

4. The world’s largest democracy is under siege from systematic vote-rigging by the government of Narendra Modi, the leader of India’s opposition has alleged in an interview with the Financial Times. Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that controls the Indian National Congress party, claimed there has been centralized manipulation of the voter rolls to “steal elections”, with the assistance of India’s electoral commission. His remarks mark a breakdown in a sprawling democracy where there have often been allegations of voting irregularities but all parties have historically accepted the results of elections. “We’ve been noticing anomalies in our election system as a political party for a long time,” said Gandhi, accusing the prime minister of the country of 1.4bn people of overseeing the alleged vote-rigging. “The guy at the top of the system has to do it,” he said. (Source: ft.com).

News Items: Interesting, important or both. Click to read News Items, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

09/13/2025

Sept. 13, 2025 Morning Report — Foreign Relations Edition
Shock, Awe, and Drift: The India Tariff Fallout

Summary
Jerry Seib, Visiting Fellow at the Dole Institute of Politics, writing in News Items (John Ellis), warns that amid the torrent of Trump-era disruptions, some carry deeper consequences. None may prove more consequential than the unraveling of U.S.–India relations. For two decades, Washington courted New Delhi—resolving disputes, sharing technology, and elevating India to “Major Defense Partner” status. Together with Japan and Australia in the Quad, India was meant to anchor America’s Indo-Pacific strategy as a counterweight to China.

Now, that foundation has cracked. On September 1, Prime Minister Modi stood comfortably alongside Xi and Putin, a symbolic but telling image of shifting ground. Days later, Trump admitted bluntly, “We’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China.” A 50% tariff—higher than China’s—collided with disputes over Russian oil and the Trump family’s crypto ties to Pakistan. Analysts like Richard Haass warn the damage could be lasting, nudging India back toward its Cold War stance of strategic independence and tilting the balance toward Beijing and Moscow.

My Comment
I was skeptical of tariffs. However, early “shock and awe,” aimed at reciprocity and revenue, was effective. What was needed was speed—before the left could rally opposition, unleash lawfare, and lean on store-bought judges. Instead, delay dulled the edge, emboldened adversaries, and frayed allies. Both Trump’s drift and the Democrats' obstruction share the blame.

Path Forward

Trade Reset: Reciprocal concessions in high-tech, defense, and pharmaceuticals.

Defense Anchor: Expand Quad exercises; reaffirm “Major Defense Partner” status.

Energy Pivot: LNG, nuclear, and renewables as alternatives to Russian oil.

Diplomatic Tone: Shift disputes off Twitter; use trusted envoys.

Strategic Patience: Respect India’s autonomy while building steady alignment against China.

Bottom Line: Tariffs may win revenue, but mishandled, they lose allies—and losing India may be the costliest tariff of all.

09/09/2025

Sept. 9, 2025 Morning Report. Health Edition
Covid Long Presentation but Lots of Good Information

This presentation comes from Dr. Peter McCullough, one of the most widely published cardiologists in America. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and clinical lipidology, and has spent decades at the center of academic medicine and patient care. Dr. McCullough has authored hundreds of peer-reviewed papers and has been a leading voice in public discussions on COVID-19, vaccines, and broader medical controversies.

This particular video is long—and deliberately so. Dr. McCullough tackles medicine, vaccines, big pharma, and public health with candor and clarity. I’ve followed his work for years, often through Diane and his Substack, and I listened to this lecture in full this morning. It is worth your time if you want to see what is happening “behind the curtain.”

Two items stand out. First, he explains how you can order a lab test—without a prescription—to measure your body’s load of spike proteins from the COVID vaccine, along with a regimen for breaking them down since the immune system does not clear them naturally. Second, he exposes the troubling conflicts of interest between government health agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, where officials move seamlessly into private posts with the same companies they once oversaw. It underscores the urgent need for real guardrails, such as mandatory cooling-off periods, to protect the public.

This is part of his Henkel Lecture series, titled Great Medical Controversies: When Orthodoxy is Dead Wrong.

👉 thefocalpoints.com

09/06/2025

Sept. 8, 2025 Morning Report
War Edition: War, Rumors of War, and Who’s Trying to Stop It
Compiled from ABC News, The Times of Israel, The New York Times, and Interfax via John Ellis News Items

Let’s be honest—the world is already at war. If not in formal declarations, then in drone swarms, military parades, gas deals, and sharpened rhetoric. And precious few seem willing to stop it.

This week in Ukraine, Russia launched 502 drones and 24 missiles in a single night. Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting most—430 neutralized—but 69 drones and 3 missiles hit, damaging 14 areas. Explosions echoed across the west. NATO jets scrambled over Poland.
(ABC News)

In the Middle East, UAE envoy Lana Nusseibeh issued a blunt warning to Israel: if it moves to annex the West Bank, it would cross a "red line" that destroys hopes for regional peace and kills the two-state vision. Her statement came just ahead of Netanyahu’s cabinet review and days before the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords—a sobering reminder of how fragile peace can be.
(The Times of Israel)

In Beijing, Xi Jinping’s latest military parade sent a loud signal. China unveiled:

Hypersonic missiles meant to sink U.S. ships

Ballistic missiles with U.S. mainland range

Combat drones paired with manned jets

Air-dropped armored vehicles

Rocket systems pointed at Taiwan

The pattern is clear: China is betting on unmanned, high-tech warfare to project power and deter rivals.
(The New York Times)

Meanwhile, in a quiet but telling development, Russia and China signed a binding deal for the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline—50 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year flowing to China through Mongolia. Putin, Xi, and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa sealed the deal in Beijing, signaling not just economic ties, but a shared strategic front aimed at reshaping the global order.
(Interfax)

Four fronts. One trajectory. The world is drifting toward greater confrontation. And too many in power seem more focused on preparing for war than preventing one.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Scripture tells us.
But today, you have to ask—where are they?

08/30/2025

https://www.facebook.com/reel/779657121209021?fs=e&fs=e

08/01/2025

Private equity funds and managers are salivating over your $12 trillion in 401k retirement pension assets to bail out their years of financially ra**ng the small investors to fill the pockets of billionaires.

And a provision in the crypto act and a proposed executive order may just be feeding you to the wolves.

Blackstone, Vanguard, and others need to stay away but if the fiduciary rule is removed then they can unload bad investments off on your backs in a ponzi-type scheme.

My financial advisor once played this game with me, but when I figured it out I ran like hell. If they promise you easy and big money then beware.

I must confess I have a difficult time believing this story that Trump knew about these details but it is only planned and most probably are the workings of dark staters.

There’s still time to stop this—but only if we act now.

07/09/2025

I always thought my ADHD was not a disorder but my secret “super power” seeing around corners of ideas and leaping to solutions with a single bound.

It was just hard to keep on track and follow filters. But I got better and kept those swirling thoughts and unconnected dots under the hood.

Yes, I am nuts and bouncing ball, but I sits more today. And probably write too much. But what the heck, I am still crazy after all these years. And crazy people don't think they’re crazy and know everyone else is neurodivergent.

For over three decades, I’ve been saying what the medical establishment didn’t want to hear: ADHD isn’t a disease, disorder, or defect.

07/08/2025

Red China and Its “Rare Earth” Economic Warfare

I often hear talk about asymmetric warfare, but it rarely appears clearly in news articles or social media posts. However, Chris Miller (whom I don’t know personally, but with whom I agree) has written about China’s careful planning and how it has used rare earth mineral exports—and the magnets made from them—as a powerful economic weapon.

I’ve read that each modern jet contains around 400 pounds of these magnets. They’re also found in nearly every rocket and weapon in the American and allied military arsenal.

That’s a terrifying thought, especially considering how quickly we are using these weapons in Ukraine, Iran, and the Middle East. These weapons aren’t made overnight. They take time—and China is holding back the materials needed to produce them.

Chris Miller connects the dots and raises a powerful question: Where were our policymakers at the Pentagon and the White House? Why did we allow our biggest rival to control key parts of our weapons supply chain?

We should have learned from history. During World War II, the U.S. was called the “arsenal of democracy” as we supplied the weapons needed to defeat N**i Germany, Imperial Japan, and their allies. That lesson seems forgotten.

Offense and defense go hand in hand.
• In Ukraine, we’re firing expensive missiles to take down cheap drones.
• In the eastern Mediterranean, our Navy uses high-tech weapons to protect against attacks from rebels launching low-cost missiles.

The risk is serious. If our troops can’t get the weapons they need—and if supplies run out—we face more than just problems on the battlefield. Without enough conventional weapons, nuclear options could become part of the discussion. That risk grows when any nation, including ours, is backed into a corner.

Chris Miller writes:

“Shortly after Beijing announced new restrictions on exporting rare earth minerals and the specialized magnets they make, the world’s auto industry warned of shortages that could force factory closures. China’s skillful deployment of rare earth sanctions this spring was probably the key factor in forcing Washington to reverse its tariff rises on the country. They represent a new era of Chinese economic statecraft — evidence of a sanctions policy capable of pressuring not only small neighbors but also the world’s largest economy…

The most striking aspect of China’s weaponization of rare earths is how unprepared Western governments and companies were. Even those who cannot name a single rare earth element know that China dominates their production. Nevertheless, over the decade and a half since China first cut rare earth exports to Japan in 2011, the West has failed to find new suppliers. Some modest steps were taken. Korea expanded its stockpiles. Japan invested in Australian mines. Yet most Western governments devised critical minerals strategies and then chose not to fund them. Manufacturers speak of resilience, yet some keep only a week’s supply of rare earth magnets in their inventories. This is a weapon they have been staring at for decades. They should not have been surprised when Beijing finally pulled the trigger.”

(Source: Christopher Miller, FT.com)

News, analysis and opinion from the Financial Times on the latest in markets, economics and politics

07/04/2025

JULY 4, 2025
“A Republic… if you can keep it.”
— Benjamin Franklin, upon signing the Constitution

From the Declaration of Independence (1776):
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

From the Constitution of the United States (1787):
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”

It’s been said—by Lincoln most notably—that the Declaration of Independence is the apple of gold, and the Constitution its frame of silver. The two cannot be separated. One gives us the truth that rights are God-given; the other secures those rights through law and structure.

But documents alone do not keep a republic. People do.

At what cost have we kept it?

When those men in Philadelphia signed their names to that Declaration, they were not just voicing complaints against a distant monarch. They were making themselves enemies of the Crown—traitors under British law. Signing that parchment meant war, exile, prison, or death. And they signed anyway.

They weren’t idealists lost in theory. They were landowners, merchants, farmers, and lawyers who knew exactly what they were risking. But they also knew something greater: that liberty does not come from kings or parliaments—it comes from God. And just as power does not flow from rulers down to the people, they declared that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

It was a radical thought in 1776. It still is. Because that truth makes every citizen a guardian of freedom—and every government answerable to the people it serves.

They pledged “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Those weren’t just poetic words—they were the price of freedom. And many of them paid it in full.

Since then, generation after generation has added to that cost. From Lexington to Gettysburg, Normandy to Kandahar, more than 1.4 million Americans have given their lives in service to that original promise: that this nation, conceived in liberty, should not perish from the earth.

And not just against enemies abroad. We’ve had to defend it against forces within—those who would trade liberty for power, who ignore the will of the people, or believe government knows better than the governed.

Freedom is never secure just because it was once won.

What does liberty mean today?

Liberty means the right to speak freely—even when it's unpopular. It means the power to worship, to dissent, to own, to vote, to rise, to build, to fail. It means we are not subjects, but citizens—governed not by rulers, but by laws we consent to.

But liberty is fragile. It requires memory, virtue, and courage. And in a time when many take it for granted, we must ask again:
Will we be the generation that forgets the cost?

The founders gave us the tools: a Declaration rooted in truth, a Constitution built to endure, and a system that puts power in the hands of the people. But as Franklin warned, it is only a republic—if we can keep it.

In 1863, as the nation bled on its own soil, Abraham Lincoln reminded Americans why this republic matters:

“…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

And more recently, President Reagan gave this sobering reminder:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on… or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.”

Today is more than a birthday for a nation. It is a day of reckoning and renewal—a reminder that freedom has always come at a cost and that we are its stewards now.

So raise the flag, light the fireworks, and say a prayer—not just in celebration, but in commitment.

Let it not be said that we let liberty slip through our fingers—not on our watch.