We are making fools of ourselves once more. For over 230 years America has struggled against oppression, injustice and slavery, among many other great evils, while still advancing the causes of peace, life, the pursuit of happiness and, most importantly, liberty. Today, something much different is taking place. Children, even before their very birth, are in debt; the people’s voice in their own government is being smothered; the lives of hundreds are being enslaved by ignorance spread by our very own systems; and the words of truth are being ignored by those who should be documenting them. Our whole society is tearing apart at the seams and few have taken enough notice to try to repair it.
The only thing stopping total collapse is liberty. Because people are still able to think for themselves chaos is held at bay by the desire for the benefits of peace. Luckily, though many have forgotten, liberty is an unalienable right which can never be taken away, but, like a beam of light is hidden by a dark cloud, it can be blotted out. Like trained animals we are being taught to rely on others, releasing out freedom and independence; systems are operating which put the good in some form of bondage, while giving evil to have a greater hold on the lives of others; and, while we must always have laws to protect us from the harm of others, our rights are being taken away before our very eyes. Organizations across the earth are covering the light of liberty in the physical, intangible and mental realms, which is horribly affecting our way of life.
But all is not lost. History is repeating itself again and leaders of every shade are stepping forward to save this country. In times of need they have always done so: every civil war has had a Lincoln, every revolution a Washington, every protest a Gandhi, every problem its vanquisher. This crisis, for it soon will be a crisis, has leaders to destroy it as well, some of whom are only children at the moment. It is these children who will solve the coming problems and liberate America from its self-imposed bondage, and a small group in southern California is trying to nurture youth to become those saviors. This group is small, but great; it is compassionate yet strict; it was built by ordinary people to do extraordinary things; and it IS going to have an impact on the future of this earth. This group is G.E.N.I.U.S.
Their name proclaims their mission: to Guide, Educate, Nurture and Inspire Unique Scholars. But to guide, educate nurture and inspire them to become what? Geniuses: people who have achieved their greatest potential. Liberty is the most powerful thing people can have to fulfill such a mission, so it is freedom which they are using. The very essence of each class is imbued with the ideas of liberty, allowing the potential for great manifestations of genius to take place. G.E.N.I.U.S.’ classes each impact a different part of the liberty within each of its scholars, and by the end of a scholar’s time in a class they will have awakened a new sense of liberty in their minds and hearts.
Knowledge, understanding, ability, leadership and freedom are what G.E.N.I.U.S. is striving to give its scholars. Each of the classes is designed to impact them in a profound way, and if in the end the classes have done so then the scholar has received one of the greatest gifts this world has to offer. They have the power to influence their own destiny and to become who they most desire to be; they have the knowledge to succeed in all areas of life, no matter how hard the challenges; they have a mindset which allows them to keep growing and developing, while still allowing them to be themselves. These scholars, these youth, are the future of America, and if they have learned from these classes they will be among the great names of history. Liberty will be the flame which burns inside them, the fire which burns within their very spirit. They will be the saviors of liberty, and nothing will stand in their way because of what they carry forth. These will be the scholars of G.E.N.I.U.S. and it will be thanks to that small group that they became so extraordinary.
Written by Josh C.
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NOTES:
Josh C. is a youth who wrote the above excerpt from his opinion paper on "moving the cause of liberty".
*G.E.N.I.U.S. is a Commonwealth School in a mentoring environment where youth participate in activities lead by an adult mentor to help them become self-directed scholars through practice-, apprentice- and self-directed scholar projects. The Commonwealth School program was designed by Leadership Education Mentoring Institute which trains adult mentors in leading youth projects as a Commonwealth School. For more information see http://www.thelemi.com
