The great 19th Century inventor, Thomas Edison, wrote of Thomas Paine:

"I have always regarded Paine as one of the greatest of all Americans. Never have we had a sounder intelligence in this republic. It was my good fortune to encounter Thomas Paine's works in my boyhood. it was, indeed, a revelation to me to read that great thinker's views on political and theological subjects. Paine educated me then about many matters of which I had never before thought. I remember very vividly the flash of enlightenment that shone from Paine's writings and I recall thinking at that time, 'What a pity these works are not today the schoolbooks for all children!' My interest in Paine was not satisfied by my first reading of his works. I went back to them time and again, just as I have done since my boyhood days."

Guns win wars but so do words. Thomas Paine, a writer, is mostly remembered for these words from one of his several "Crisis" pamphlets he wrote during America's Revolutionary War:

"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."

So today, we must ask ourselves in a time of our own conflict, confusion and turmoil, how "dear" is freedom? What price do we put on its defense? Are we the summer soldier or the sunshine patriot that, in crisis, shrinks from the service of country? Or, are we who stand by it now, the vanguards of freedom, will, in the end, be its savior? But if there not be enough of us who stand steadfast for freedom, will the summer soldier or the sunshine patriot come out of the shadows to join the battle? Or will they wait until the loose chains that bind them are locked forever and freedom becomes but a dim, retreating memory?

In a portion of a poem we wrote several years ago, we described freedom thus:

You can't see freedom
You can only be free.
You can't touch freedom,
It's a phantom you see.

A phantom we hold
In our hearts and minds.
A fleeting memory we are told,
Should we it let slip away,
On the winds of time.

The experiment of American freedom is approaching a precipice, where even the summer soldiers or sunshine patriots are hard to find and just a handful of the Vanguards of Freedom exist to remind us all that the price of freedom is truly eternal vigilance. The phantom of freedom, that we hold in our hearts and minds, is slipping away before our very eyes. Freedom has become passé, old hat and out of date. The "phantom" doesn't fit in with our complex, complicated and fast-pace lifestyle. How could we possibly unravel the millions of laws that have been passed in the last 100 years, that have tightened the government noose around our necks? After all, we must take care of the sick, the aged, the infirmed and all the able-bodied men and women (including illegal aliens) that line up at the government pig trough. So what that our constitution never listed or allowed such an action as an authorized power of government. And now that the environment has become an inviolate religion, how can we even consider undoing the propaganda, lies and distortions that are being crammed into consenting adults by the media, as well as the innocent minds of our K-12 school and college-age children? Certainly, it is quite apparent to almost everyone that protecting the environment is much more important than complying with all those ancient, antiquated principles of freedom in our dying constitution ............. isn't it?

Oh contraire! If we do not roll back the insanities and the injustices that have eroded our liberty, freedom, or even its memory, will eventually die and henceforth, never to rise again, being replaced by a top-down, elite-run, tyrannical, one-world-order. As Thomas Paine said: "tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." We can assure you that the conflict, the enemy we face today, may be much harder, much more intractable, than a simple revolutionary war, where today the enemy we face, is us!

Nevertheless, like the Thomas Paines of the revolution that secured our freedom, the "Vanguards of Freedom" are still with us. They are the scouts who sound the early-warning alarm against the enemies who would steal our freedom outright by an act of war, or by domestic stealth, using the un-substantiated, mythical rationale of maintaining our security for us, or listing polar bears as endangered, based on our collective guilty conscience for "injuring" the planet with our CO2 output.

These vanguards are the "one-if-by-land" or "two-if-by-sea" in the Old North Church. They are the cry in the wilderness for the phantom of freedom. They will, if necessary, pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to preserve, protect and defend their freedom and yours, as did our Founding Fathers. The question is, will the summer soldier or the sunshine patriot come out of the shadows to help the vanguards hold onto the flag of freedom? How "dear" is their freedom and are they willing to pay the price? History will eventually reveal the truth.

But then again, why should anyone care about freedom when the cost of gasoline just sailed easily through $4.00 per gallon and the cost of food is going through the roof. They should care because both of these maladies are caused by the actions or inactions of the same government who would (and has) stripped you of your freedom, your liberty and your property rights. We wonder how long you will put up with it before you finally get angry enough to do something and join the Vanguards of Freedom?

NOTE: In the spirit of Thomas Paine and to keep the message of freedom and liberty alive and going strong, NARLO has published a series of books entitled: "The Vanguards of Freedom". By ordering these books you will help NARLO to grow and become more effective in the fight to maintain freedom. Check out "The Vanguards of Freedom" titles at: www.narlo.org/vanguards.html.

We also encourage you to check out NARLO'S FREEDOM CHRONICLES. A series of five (5) YouTube videos describing the wonders of America and American freedom, from the perspective of the rural landowner. The links to the videos can be found on NARLO'S website home page at:

www.narlo.org

WE'RE REALLY COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP US CONTINUE THIS FIGHT.
 
To donate to NARLO, send us a check or money order by U. S. mail to:
 
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RURAL LANDOWNERS (NARLO)
P. O. Box 1031, Issaquah, WA  98027
425 222-4742 or 1 800 682-7848
(Fax No. 425 222-4743)
E-mail: info@narlo.org
 
You are welcome to use the printable form on our website at: www.narlo.org/membershipapp.html.
Or to make a credit card donation to NARLO, visit our website at:
http://www.narlo.org/donate.html
 
 
DONATE AN ITEM:
 
You are also welcome to donate any article or item of value that is just sitting around taking up space,
that you don't need or want any more.  We accept computer or office equipment of any kind, old books,
coins and stamp collections, cameras and binoculars, saleable art, hand or electric tools,  stereos, tv's,
radios, amateur radio equipment, IPODS, cell phones, microwave ovens, old 33, 45 or 75 RPM
records, CD-ROM discs, antiques, small appliances, etc.
 
Send the item, UPS or Fed EX, pre-paid, to:  4451 308th Ave. S. E., Fall City, WA  98024.
 
or send it by U. S. Mail, pre-paid, to:  P. O. Box 813, Fall City, WA  98024.
 
Do you have a house, lot or land parcel that you aren't going to use or build on, anywhere in the
11 Western States.  Or a car, truck, boat, trailer, airplane, or an ORV, snowmobile or jet ski,
that is just sitting around.  We also willingly accept donated real estate or vehicles.

Good Neighbor Committee
P.O. Box 155 - La Salle, CO  80645
info@goodneighborlaw.com

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