Years ago, when we bought our headquarters building, nicknamed the Freedom Embassy, we had many goals. Among those goals was to be close to the state capitol in Denver, so that we and our center-right allies could have more access and influence with lawmakers. This beachhead in enemy territory —there are scores of left-wing outfits housed around the capitol —was a transformational step in restoring liberty to Colorado.
Needless to say, the Freedom Embassy is more than a building, it is a weapon against the growing command-and-control state. We cherish it.
I had to wait until the 5:00 am curfew was over this morning to get to our offices to inspect for damage. As I write this my eyes are stinging from the leftover remnants of tears gas unleashed throughout the weekend.
Our Freedom Embassy was spared any real damage. But around us the scene is disturbing. Burnt out dumpsters, smashed windows, boarded up windows, and endless graffiti and vandalism.
The messages scrawled on the small businesses in spray paint tell the real aim of the unrest. “Do crimes.” “Smash white capitalism supremacy.” And the constant, “F*#K the police!”
The spark for the protests was the needless killing of a black man by the police. The fuel for the riots was an organized drive for collectivism, a forced redistribution of wealth, and a desire to take by force rather than earn by work.
With unemployment arguably at 25% and people taking to the streets demanding socialism, I cannot help but be reminded of mob scenes from the Great Depression.
At the center of the murky, confusing debate is a simple clash of visions for America. Liberty versus coercion. Property rights versus collectivism. The individual versus group think.
Never has the work we do at the Independence Institute been more important. Never has our mission been more in demand. The soul of our state is on the line.
We work well beyond the next election. We work to build a permanent freedom infrastructure to change the political culture of Colorado. The left has been patient in creating a well-funded infrastructure to promote educational indoctrination, false media narratives, and political activism.
We at Independence have always seen it. We have been sounding the alarm for years. You’ve heard us over that time, so you are not surprised. But many are not like you. They didn’t hear us.
Because we see this fight differently, because we engage so differently, we are uniquely qualified to be the counterweight to this madness in what was once the most free state in the country.
We will never give up on Colorado and the Liberty that is still in her bones. And saving Colorado is the first step in saving the nation.
I just want you to know how much we at Independence value you, the holders of the Colorado spirit of Freedom. We won’t let you down.
Think Freedom,
-Jon