If you are like many of us at the Brush Fire Forum, you see the direction our country is going, have a sick feeling in your stomach, and literally fear for your children. Also, if you are like us, you have less and less faith that “the system” can correct itself at this point, and you see warning signs of what is to come. Do not worry; you are not “crazy” or “radical” – you are just awake.
Brush Fire Forum was founded on these premises with the hope that people like you would join us. We believe in preparing minds and spirits for the cycles that are to come. There is a place for activism and reaction to current policies, but there are plenty of other resources and venues for that. We are not a group focused on politics, but we are a community of like-minded people providing resources, understanding, and a much-needed wakeup call for others. We are a “liberty circle” of friends keen to set brush fires in people’s minds (including our own ).
Eric’s article entitled “The Death of the Tea Party” poignantly captures these feelings and serves as a declaration for this online venture. To quote his words: “this means shifting…paradigms from short-term pragmatism to principled realism. The does not ignore what is currently happening but prioritizes preparation for the future state." This effort can take on many different forms.
- It is self and education – whether it entails classical liberal arts (#liberalarts) and/or critical thinking (#criticalthinking). It is building the tools and societal structure that will be needed – not to repair – but to reconstitute liberty in our nation.
- It is unplugging from the status quo. For Eric, it was becoming an independent by breaking free from political labels and party loyalty. It can mean becoming more self-reliant and severing the ties of dependency and bondage”. It is peoples creating their own "Liberty Circles" (#libertycircles) or small movements outside systems that create dependencies and bondage. This may be home-school communities, like-minded social groups, or small independent business or service providers. Gandhi stopped the British Empire with a spinning wheel, and we can begin to do the same with self-reliant groups of determined individuals.
- it is grounding yourself and your family in the intersection of faith (#faith) and reason and personal responsibility (#leadership) to possibly become a New American Founder. This also means strengthening communities and families by working hard within each. Embodying this requires self-sacrifice and being prepared to help others in your neighborhood. Creating a community that stands on its own and takes care of its own. During times of struggle, family and community become the nucleus for support and welfare.
To close and clarify, we are in no way advocating inactivity or apathy towards what is going on in our nation today. Individually, everyone should stand and defend principles. Tea Party members will – and all citizens should – continue to pressure legislators to do the right things, but we must face the inevitable. Politicians may not get it right and whatever they attempt may not be enough to prevent the harder times ahead.
This article is packed with links that you can explore as you have time to find a continually updated wealth of knowledge that is now at your disposal. We hope you will become a part of our vision for the Brush Fire Forum and join the conversation so that we can collectively grow together and better ourselves for the sake of our families and our liberty.
