I've decided to run for the U.S. Senate because I believe

On the Courage to Serve — The Calling of the Just Leader

When Tammy Baldwin declared, “I’ve decided to run for the U.S. Senate because I believe Wisconsin families need a senator who will work hard to deliver results for the middle class—a leader with the courage to do what’s right, no matter how tough the odds or how powerful the special interests we have to fight,” she spoke not merely as a politician, but as one who answers a timeless calling of service. Her words echo the spirit of those who, across the ages, have risen to defend the common good against the mighty and the corrupt. It is the ancient and noble truth: that leadership is not a crown to be worn, but a burden to be borne; not a pursuit of power, but a sacrifice for justice.

The ancients believed that those who rule must do so with virtue and courage, for to wield power without these is to invite ruin. Baldwin’s vow to fight for the middle class, for the working families who toil without glory, stands in the same lineage as the defenders of the people in ages past. Like the Roman tribunes who stood before emperors to shield the poor from oppression, she invokes a moral law higher than political convenience—a law that whispers, “Do what is right, though the heavens fall.”

Throughout history, the battle against special interests has been the struggle between the heart of the people and the greed of the few. In every age, those who speak for the powerless must face the wrath of the privileged. So it was with Theodore Roosevelt, who, at the dawn of the twentieth century, dared to break the trusts and monopolies that strangled the nation’s economy. He was warned, threatened, reviled by the powerful. Yet he declared, “We stand at Armageddon, and we battle for the Lord.” His fight for fairness, like Baldwin’s vow, was not against men alone, but against the forces of selfishness and decay that ever seek to rule over justice.

In Baldwin’s words shines the ancient ideal of the heroic servant—one who labors not for personal glory, but for the welfare of others. To fight “no matter how tough the odds” is the song of every noble soul who refuses to bow before adversity. It is the courage of David before Goliath, of Joan of Arc before the armies of kings, of ordinary citizens who rise to defend truth in times of deceit. Such courage is not born of ambition, but of love—the love of one’s people, one’s homeland, and the belief that right must prevail over might.

Her pledge also reminds us that the measure of a society lies not in the wealth of the few, but in the well-being of the many. The middle class, the builders of nations, are the backbone of every civilization. When they prosper, a nation stands upright; when they falter, it collapses into division and despair. Baldwin’s promise is a call to restore balance—to remind both rulers and citizens that leadership means stewardship, and stewardship demands empathy.

But the path of justice is never smooth. Those who walk it must face loneliness, scorn, and struggle. Yet in these trials lies the proof of one’s devotion. The leader of courage does not retreat when threatened, nor compromise when tempted. Instead, like a lighthouse in the storm, they hold fast to their principles, guiding others through the darkness. For it is easy to serve when the crowd applauds—but true greatness is to serve when the crowd turns away.

Let this teaching endure: that true leadership is not given by titles, but earned through sacrifice. The young who hear Baldwin’s words should learn to stand firm for what is right, even when no one stands beside them. In their workplaces, in their schools, in their communities, they must remember that every act of integrity—every defense of fairness, every stand against greed—is part of the same ancient struggle for justice that has shaped humanity’s noblest moments.

Therefore, live as Baldwin teaches: work hard for others, even when reward seems distant. Stand for truth, even when power seeks to silence it. And above all, act with courage, for courage is the heartbeat of every righteous cause. When future generations speak of heroes, may they say not only that they were bold—but that they were good, and that they fought, as Tammy Baldwin vowed to fight, for what is right, “no matter how tough the odds.”