Length: 476 Words Reading Time: 2 Minutes
My dear Misunderstood,
I want you to stand on your own two feet and to be self-reliant. I do not want you to rely on anyone for anything, once you have reached your majority (Age 21) or after you have graduated from college.
I want you to be as self-reliant and as independent as you can. Do not become a blind follower of anyone or any movement. Form your opinions based on your reading and discussions with other people. Learn to ask intelligent questions and never take anything at face value.
I wrote that last sentence because I believe there is so much nonsense in the public marketplace today. The Internet cannot be trusted, and social media contains mostly emotions and beliefs, not facts. So, it is imperative to do independent reading and thinking. You must become a critical thinker. I hope you understand what that means.
Here are the questions I ask myself when reading anything on the Internet and in the media, or in participating in discussions or conversations. Is the information objective? Is there a hidden agenda? How does the writer or person doing the talking, know what they are writing or talking about? Are there any implicit or explicit biases? Is the content balanced, or is it completely one-sided? You can see from these types of questions that much can be learned by simply asking questions.
I want you to understand that being a free individual and a member of civil society has become quite complicated, especially in today’s America.
I have been a libertarian from the time I was your age. I believe individualism, personal liberty, and self-reliance are the key elements of living in a free society.
I now realize that living in America as a lover of liberty is becoming more difficult because we have lost many of our freedoms. The centralized federal government has become a pervasive force in our lives, and we no longer have shared values and ideals as citizens of this great country.
The last two times, in my opinion, we were united as a people were after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 and after the attack of the World Trade Center on 9/11 in 2001. From that latter point forward, I believe the progressive trends of “diversity is our strength” and “multiculturalism” have divided our nation. I am not sure this division can be reversed.
When I was a young man, I used to wear a T-shirt with the word TANSTAAFL on the front. People on the street would often stop me and ask what that word meant. I would smile and say, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Always remember that. Nothing is free in our society and our country. Someone, someone who is often not seen or known, has to pay.
With great affection,
Old White Beard