|
December 12, 2005
Dear Friends of FFF, In the very first issue of Freedom Daily —January 1990 — I wrote: “In the years ahead, you and I are probably not going to agree on everything. That is not important. What is important is that each of us continues to seek a deeper understanding of the principles of freedom and to exchange our respective insights with one another. By sharing our own individual perspectives of truth, and by maintaining a respectful tolerance for each other's beliefs, we will inevitably contribute to the advancement of liberty as well as to each other's understanding of the principles of freedom.” Our longtime supporters know that ever since our inception, we have never feared to take the lead in addressing the burning issues of the day from an uncompromising libertarian perspective. We took the lead on the dangers arising from U.S. foreign policy, warning long before 9/11 that such policy would ultimately produce terrorist “blowback” against our country. We took the lead on opposing the Iraq war, long before the invasion and long before the occupation turned into a quagmire. We took the lead in opposing out-of-control federal spending, both domestic and foreign, which threatens the monetary and economic well-being of the American people. We took the lead on opposing the federal government’s severe assaults on civil liberties, including the Patriot Act. We took the lead in opposing the federal government’s assaults on habeas corpus, which is the lynchpin of a free society. We took the lead in opposing the Jose Padilla doctrine from the very beginning of his incarceration by the military. We took the lead on opposing torture, a year before the Abu Ghraib revelations. We have long played a leading role in opposing the war on drugs, and we have never feared to oppose the federal government’s war on immigrants. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we have paid a price for all this. Why have we chosen to do so, when simply calling for “reform” of domestic programs would have been safer? There are three reasons: One, not only did we promise you the truth when we first got started but, more important, speaking the truth is the right thing to do. How could you ever trust us if we remained silent over severe threats to our freedom and well-being? Second, since the achievement of freedom is ultimately our goal, it is necessary that we oppose all obstacles to that goal, especially war which, as Madison pointed out, is the greatest threat to our freedom from our own government. Third, our beliefs and convictions are who are and if we failed to express them out fear of offending others, how could you ever trust our integrity? Anyway, as Lincoln pointed out, “To sin by silence when one should protest makes cowards out of men.” We are fighting hard to move our country in a better, freer, more peaceful, prosperous, and harmonious direction. Truth and ideas on liberty are our weapons. And we are convinced than ever that we can prevail. We need your support to help pay the substantial bills that we will incur in the upcoming year, including such everyday expenses as website maintenance, rent, payroll, author fees, telephone, etc. If you would like to help us out with either a tax-deductible donation to FFF or a subscription to Freedom Daily ($25 for a one-year print subscription or $15 for email subscription), please visit the Subscribe and Support section of our secure website. Also, if you’re interested in making a donation of stock to FFF, please contact us for the necessary brokerage information. You can also send us a check or MasterCard or VISA information (including expiration date) at:
The Future of Freedom Foundation
Yours for Freedom, |
|
|
