"The Greatest Danger of a Republic is Apathy" -Toqueville

At BYU, where I go to school, American Heritage is a required class. It gets a bad rap for being very difficult. Even though it was tough, I am so thankful I had to take the class. Without being aware of what I have, I cannot be grateful for it. I am now aware of what I have, and I am indeed grateful for it.
In other countries, so much is completely beyond the control of the average citizen. There is little the poor woman or minority man can do. Their government is corrupted, and the people have no voice. Do we realize that we live in a country and period unparalled in world history? We have rights and freedoms that give virtually every citizen a voice. Not only do we have political freedoms, but we have freedoms that allow us to cultivate a rich and fulfilling life. We have the freedom for human flourishing, the freedom and opportunity to be uplifted, inspired, to worship, and to pursue our dreams. We have an abundance of physical goods and also an abundance of goods for the soul such as religion, arts, culture, and entertainment. We don't have to live in fear of what the government will do next. We don't have the fear of being abducted while walking to work. We don't buy groceries in the fear that they are harmful. We don't have to walk in fear of what images we might see around the corner. The list could go on and on.

The greatest danger our republic faces is apathy. This liberty is given to us as a resource to help others! We must not be apathetic about what we have, but use it to help others. We could serve those in other countries who do not have these freedoms, or those in our own back yard who do.

These freedoms and a working Constitution are no accident. The rights and privileges we enjoy are the result of much sacrifice and Divine Intervention. May we not be apathetic about these precious freedoms, but use them, and use them to serve.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Faith