Libertas ad Oculos

Some may have noticed that a few months back I updated my banner image to include a slight image change and added a fuzzy latin phrase: libertas ad oculus. Not being a latin major, or one who pretends to generally understand latin, I began looking into strong latin phrases which summarized the struggle for liberty over tyranny. There were the common "Thus always to Tyrants" and such, but nothing little known that really stood out.

And then I came across a random and obscure phrase - 'ad oculos', meaning 'evident to those who can see', loosely. And I thought to myself how unique and true this is in regards to liberty... libertas ad oculos... Liberty is obvious to those who see it.

It is a phrase that I pieced together which perfectly defined my frustration with the current struggle in this country with our ruling elite and their mob of merry followers. We see the founding documents, the constitution, and understand the inspiration of true individual liberty in the formation of this country... it is so obvious to our kind that we often repeat ourselves to the point of madness, always asking 'what is so hard to understand'...

The answer is that they simply do not see it... they either cannot or choose not to see liberty. They refuse to understand or acknowledge that with a little personal responsibility and self determination, people actually CAN succeed without a nanny state, social welfare programs, etc. They do not see that if left to our good nature, communities would grow stronger in their mutual security, grow prosperous in their mutual innovation, and grow more generous in their mutual (and voluntary) welfare toward our fellow man. People, I believe, who are given the chance to excel will follow their good nature and strengthen their family and community. However, to those who do not see it fear that the repealing of social programs or nanny security state regulations will lead to mass chaos, death, etc. They fear what they cannot understand, and do not understand what they cannot see... Liberty.

They cannot see liberty, and so they fight steadily for something else entirely... something historically familiar... Something tyrannical. It will, as history has repeatedly shown, rest at the hands of those who can see and understand liberty to free the people from servitude to their kings, and restore faith in human ingenuity and goodness.