By Kevin Rollins

It is easy to become negative when faced with the crushing power of tyranny and seeing the freedom movement stymied at many points by the work of authoritarians. I have seen this negativity manifest itself to an overwhelming degree in the Libertarian Party. It also appears in the broader libertarian movement and even here at the Free Liberal. I will admit to myself struggling with it. It is hard to be an effective advocate for freedom when all you can see is failure. It creates an apathy of “nothing I can do will make a difference, because of what others are doing.” This “failure” makes us turn on ourselves, and become critics of everyone who disagrees with us in the slightest.

When this happens, our mission goes from promoting freedom, to hating abstract concepts of the state or big corporations, to hating the proponents of tyranny, down to a nadir where we begin to hate each other. It is precisely at this low point when we need to shake ourselves and realize our bold mission once again.

For the Free Liberal, this means looking carefully at how we choose our words – how we express our vision of liberty. This is after all what the Free Liberal is. The Free Liberal is a product that does not make toast, nor mows your lawn. We are in the business of ideas. What should define this publication is not how we are “left” of the libertarian movement, nor “being more libertarian” than other liberals. These are merely descriptions that one might use to label us, not what we are.

We should be defined by our commitment to human freedom and our enduring belief that in doing so we are advancing the greatest good there is: the ability to choose. From this ability to choose we can innovate, create wealth, provide charity, remove suffering, and embrace happiness. The challenge is not to seek disagreements and win debates, but to re-adopt the idea that people can learn and society can be bettered, if we improve ourselves and become teachers of freedom – both with words and as living examples.

I am challenging myself, the entire Free Liberal team, and our readership to look beyond the disagreements, to see the larger agreements, and focus intently on the optimism that freedom offers. Look towards the day when all chains will be broken and peaceful people can take full charge their lives, bettering themselves and those around them.

I’d like to end with a quote from Gandhi:

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS.”

Kevin D. Rollins is Editor of the Free Liberal.