Liberty’s Foundation: One Principled Person

As fireworks light the sky this Independence Day and families across Arkansas gather to celebrate freedom, it’s worth asking: What truly secures liberty? Parades and patriotism are important symbols—but they are not the foundation. At the heart of a free society is something far more enduring and far more threatening to corrupt power: a single, principled person.

We often think of liberty in the plural—“We the People”—but history shows that freedom often hangs on the courage of individuals who refuse to compromise when it counts. In fact, America’s very birth came from just such a man.

Consider John Adams.

While others hesitated, whispered, or wavered under British pressure, Adams stood firm. In the Continental Congress, he was relentless in pushing for independence. His speeches were fiery, his convictions unshakable. He was not the most popular man in the room, but he was the most principled—and that made all the difference.

Adams once said, “Always stand on principle, even if you stand alone.” He often did just that. His steadfastness is the reason America exists.

Today, we face a different kind of tyranny—not from across the ocean, but often from within our own institutions. Power still resents those who won’t bend. It welcomes flatterers, careerists, and cowards. It rewards those who sell out their neighbors for access, position, or comfort. However, a person of principle—someone who cannot be bought or silenced—gets under its skin.

That’s why, still today, the principled are being expelled—targeted and cast out by powerful elites in carefully coordinated attacks. These aren’t spontaneous misunderstandings; they’re calculated purges meant to eliminate anyone who stands as a reminder of what integrity looks like. Power doesn’t fear chaos—it fears clarity. It doesn’t fear the mob—it fears the man or woman who stands calmly and unapologetically for truth.

Today, we see this play out in real time. Whether it’s in our state Capitol, party committees, or civic institutions, the pattern is the same: stand for something meaningful, and you will be attacked. However, at Arkansas 1st we believe those attacks are a badge of honor—not a mark of shame.

We also believe this: no one stands truly alone when they stand on God’s truth.

Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 29:25 that “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Our ultimate allegiance is not to party, personality, or popularity—but to the Author of Liberty Himself. The same God who raised up Moses before Pharaoh, Daniel before the kings of Babylon, and Esther before a Persian throne is still raising up principled people today.

This Independence Day, let’s not only celebrate the blessings of liberty—but let’s recommit ourselves to the source of liberty. Let’s pray for boldness, seek wisdom in God’s Word, and stand firm in the face of pressure. Our Founders risked everything on the belief that liberty is God-given—and they were right.

Let it be said of our generation, as it was said of our forefathers: they stood on truth, trusted in God, and would not back down.

Happy Independence Day from all of us at Arkansas 1st.

Stand firm. Speak truth. Stay free.

And trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Jennifer Lancaster

Just a homeschool mom hoping to make a positive difference in the world.