Hello Joseph, thanks for responding.

“The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance,” indeed.

But the question is: vigilance against what?

This is where the 24 hour fear-based news cycle corrupts the aspirations of anyone seeking to defend liberty.

Every new story is presented as threatening or liberty, stealing your democracy, bringing the end of the world down on our heads.

The left convinces us the right is the enemy to be vigilant against. The right convinces us the left is the enemy to be vigilant against. The libertarians convince us that the extremes of either side are the ones to be vigilant against.

And because they wrap their accusations in fear, it short circuits critical thinking. You aren’t analyzing calmly whether their claims are true. You are reacting in fear, swallowing what’s being said uncritically because of how strongly it triggers your flight or flight reflexes.

It’s not only destroying our mental health. But it’s destroying our ability to see who we actually need to be vigilant against.

In reality, one of the best things you can do to fight for liberty is to care for the people around you. Look at those living around you and find anyone who can’t meet their needs. Meet their needs for them. This strengthens your community.

But when we immerse ourselves in the news, we see people around us as potential threats, instead of people to help. We divide away from them instead of drawing to them. We weaken our communities instead of strengthening them.

And then, no matter what kind of crisis befalls us next, we are less able to withstand it.