Hope is a Strategy

This is somewhat long, and it sort of became an attempt at political speechwriting while I was writing it.

Rudy Giuliani said at the RNC, "change is not a destination and hope is not a strategy." Well, that quote is witty and thought-provoking, and I profoundly disagree with it. Hope is very real, and very powerful- hope has done more for this country than its government has ever done, under any administration. Without the people's hope in themselves, in the country, in the future, we would never have become such a great nation. Republicans ought to know this- hope is why we all believe in personal liberty (and thus, responsibility, because a choice without consequences is no choice at all). Hope is why we believe in small government; it is why we believe in low taxes- we believe in the people to choose for themselves. We believe in humanity and hope for the bright future- and so we do not need an inefficient government to tell us how to live.

Hope is sustenance to freedom- those who live in fear are not free- they are slaves to what they fear, and worse, to fear itself. Hope is what drives the free onward, even when it is dark, because the hopeful can see the light in the future. Faith, hope, and love- these are the three virtues Paul praises above all others in 1st Corinthians, and they are inextricably linked to each other and to freedom. For it is those who have faith in the future who hope, those who put their hope in good who love, those who love who can see the future shining in the distance! Fear has no hold on such free people, who can see the light, who know the shadow is only transient. Such free people can boldly make choices, neither according to the command of fear nor with the lack of will that accompanies conformity to others and to well-rehearsed habit.

Therefore, we say: hope is our strategy. It is not, and should not be, our only strategy, but it is one that is absolutely essential and fundamental. For the hopes of the free are powerful- without the best of plans would be empty and hollow, lacking the will to apply them. Let us therefore add intelligence and foresight to our hope, and so let us move forward to a bright future. We believe in freedom, we believe in the good in the heart of each person, we believe in love, and on the foundation of our cherished past, we believe that we can, and we will, together build a future in which freedom will prosper.