As 2021 comes to a close and 2022 begins, this time of year tends to be one of reflection and intent. While we all know the problems, especially in the fight to preserve Second Amendment rights, we now need to focus on solutions. We should continue to vote for pro 2A candidates, contact elected officials, and donate to organizations. But, each one of us needs to pick one solution we personally resolve to do. For many this seems like an overwhelming task. We all have busy lives, so how can we do anymore? Isn’t this what we elect our “leaders” to do? I hear this cry all the time, “We need a leader.” Until we realize that power lies with us, nothing will ever truly change. Anti-gunners and the left play a long game. We need to do the same. By using the lessons of the 2A citizens and parents of Virginia, we can fight and win.
The core of the Second Amendment is one of self-reliance; a virtue overlooked by many Americans. Self-reliance is a necessary virtue in our fight for freedom and the preservation of our rights. The Second Amendment’s relevance directly relates to its necessity towards living as a free people. That is the only true purpose and goal for being an armed citizen. A free person can defend themself, their family, and their nation. But we too often look to the government to preserve our freedom, fix our problems, and solve societal issues. This dependence is the central reason America has devolved into a country divided and dysfunctional. It is within ourselves to reclaim the virtue of self-reliance and put it into practice.
Self-reliance was an important virtue to the founders. In Ben Franklin’s autobiography Franklin, a small business owner, relates a story on how Philadelphia got street lamps. Instead of waiting for the town leaders to fix a problem, Franklin went to other business owners and together they funded the purchase and installation of street lamps in town. Even today the Amish still have communal “barn raisings”. If we know our neighbors and work together, then we see ourselves as a community. We cannot be canceled or divided into “tribes” and told to hate and resent each other. We cannot hate someone based on superficial reasons if we know them as an individual. The virtue of self-reliance forces us to view each other as individuals part of a community.
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