This coming Sunday will be Independence Day – the day commemorating our country throwing off the yoke of England’s rule. I hope all of you have the opportunity to spend the day with friends and family, celebrating our country’s freedoms.
As Americans, we have a lot to be thankful for. We live in a country founded on biblical principles, which is a huge blessing. We have religious freedom, a society where hard work produces commensurate rewards, respectful dialog happens around contentious issues, Christianity is respected, and societal norms are shifting more toward biblical values every day.
Really? I wrote that last paragraph in November of 2019, less than two years ago. How would I write it today? How about this.
We have many freedoms and live in a nation with liberties based on biblical values, but they are under attack more and more every day. We have a President who rules by fiat. We see biological girls on sports teams having to compete with biological boys who “identify as a girl”. The major media outlets gleefully broadcast almost daily how another company, public figure, church, or other entity has sacrificed traditional values on the altar of political correctness. Social media and other forms of free expression are being censored for those with our views. Our education system is already beginning to teach our children that the structure and core beliefs of our country are inherently based on racial injustice. Hard work no longer guarantees commensurate rewards you can keep. The Left and the Right have never been farther apart on every issue, and the gloves are off. More and more states are giving permission to abort under any circumstances, at any point during the pregnancy (and in some cases, after birth!).
Why am I giving you this litany of things that are going wrong? For four reasons.
First, I want to highlight that the freedoms we still possess in these areas are a precious thing, and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. It is easy to become comfortable and complacent when it comes to our freedoms. We mistakenly assume that they will always be there, at our own peril.
Second, we may live in what is overall a conservative and Bible-honoring state, but we are not insulated from these issues. I see them every day in my work. Just look at some of the good and bad bills introduced this past legislative session: physician-assisted suicide, girls’ fairness in sports, freedom of speech at public universities, institutions of higher learning partnering with Planned Parenthood, and more. Make no mistake, these issues are already in North Dakota, folks.
Third, we need to actually do something to stop the loss of our nation’s freedoms. As we saw starkly this past November, elections can have devastating consequences. While we’ve thankfully never yet had to fight for our freedoms like the colonists during the revolutionary war, we still need to fight in other ways. For now, our fight is in the halls of Congress, our state capitol, at school board meetings, rallies, in letters to the editor, with calls to legislators, and more.
Finally, I want to ask for your help in upholding these fundamental beliefs and values that make North Dakota what it is. Kansas Family Voice of North Dakota fights for your freedoms every day. We do this through legislation, supporting candidates for office, informing you about key issues that threaten our liberties, providing ways to engage in the political process in a meaningful manner, reporting on legislators’ voting records, etc. Won’t you consider joining us in these efforts through your financial support?
Together, let’s protect the freedoms that have made our country the beacon of the free world it is.
For freedom,
Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director