Why is my theme for this campaign Made for Freedom? It is personal. Very personal. Can I get in your headspace for just a quick minute?
Human beings are amazing. We are wonderfully varied, incredibly talented, and diversely created beings. I love watching and interacting with lots of them. I have learned. I have enjoyed. I have suffered. I have questioned. I have agreed. I have disagreed. All at the hands of other human beings. So have you.
In all the ups and downs, however, there is one thing I have zero doubt about: God made each of us to be free.
Let us pull a statement from our Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Truths That Are Self-Evident
- All men are created equal.
- All are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights.
Our founders made this bold declaration, which carries the power of a lightning bolt and a thunderclap. Our Declaration of Independence states clearly that every human being, not just some, not the chosen few, but every single one, is a divinely created, uniquely autonomous, valuable person.
That, my friends, is freedom sourced at the hands of the Divine. It is freedom in its purest, most powerful form. It is the freedom cry that formed our nation. Freedom is God-given.
Why Ideals Still Matter
Before you chastise me because of all the failures of freedom in American history and culture, let me say this. Our Declaration states an ideal. Behaviors, historical events, and human choices will all fall short of ideals at times. I understand that, and I ask you to do the same. But ideals, should we give them up because they are difficult to attain? Absolutely not. Ideals are critically important to vision, goals, and hopes for the future.
Ideals give us targets to aim at.
Freedom has been the goal for America for 250 years. It is a worthy goal, worth pursuing with all diligence and passion. The pursuit of freedom in America has been the foundation of opportunity, ingenuity, and development that defines the modern world. When I themed my campaign Made for Freedom, I determined to encourage everyone who would hear me to consider viewing the current political tensions through this lens.
Questions Worth Asking
- How are we stewarding our freedom?
- How are we handling the responsibilities of freedom as a collective and as individuals?
- Are we willing to be statesmen and women in the pursuit of freedom, or are we so dug in on having things our own way that we cannot see within our communities the discouragement and despair among our citizenries?
What This Means for Wyoming
I believe we need a strong infusion of ideals rooted in American founding principles. In rediscovering some of these principles and ideals, I think we can reinvigorate American freedom. For Wyoming, I believe that means doing more of what we always do. We overcome. We persevere. We live the freedom lifestyle. We make wise choices. We help our neighbors. We smile in the face of adversity. We fight the battle with Western grit.
You were Made for Freedom, friend.
Let us make the best of it together. To learn more about Donna Rice and her campaign, visit the About Us page or reach out through the Contact page.
