The mission statement of the RSC is to foster a constitutionally

In the words of Bill Flores, we are reminded that every community, every brotherhood of men and women bound together by purpose, must have its guiding star. He speaks of the mission statement of the RSC, declaring it to be no fleeting list of ambitions, but a covenant of principles: limited government, national defense, private property rights, and the upholding of American values. These words are not dry instructions. They are the bones of a philosophy, the framework of a vision born of the long struggles of a people determined to preserve freedom.

What does it mean to pursue a constitutionally bound limited government? It is the recognition, as ancient as the republic itself, that power unrestrained grows like a wild beast, consuming all in its path. Just as the ancients warned that kings without chains of law become tyrants, so too do Flores’s words remind us that governance must bow before the higher law of the people’s charter. The Constitution is the guardian, and the mission is to keep government within its sacred boundaries.

The call for a strong national defense is no less ancient. It echoes the lessons of Rome, which in its early days armed its farmers as soldiers, for the republic understood that liberty, though precious, is fragile. When Carthage threatened her gates, it was the shield and the spear that preserved the Senate and the Forum. So too does Flores remind us that a nation without defense is like a city without walls—vulnerable to the ambitions of those who scorn liberty.

And what of private property rights? This principle, too, comes from the wisdom of time. From the days when the Hebrews divided the Promised Land among the tribes, to the Magna Carta that bound the King of England, humanity has known that where property is insecure, freedom is but a mirage. A man who does not own the fruit of his labor is a slave, no matter the velvet words that bind him. Thus, to defend property is not mere economics—it is the defense of dignity, of independence, of life itself.

As for American values, Flores speaks of a heritage carried in the marrow of generations: self-reliance, liberty, faith, and the enduring belief that all men and women are created equal. These are not hollow phrases; they are the fire that burned in the hearts of those who signed their names to the Declaration, knowing a king’s noose awaited them. They are the same values that stirred the voices of those who marched for justice, who believed that promises written on parchment must be made flesh in the lives of the people.

Flores adds with sober clarity that in this mission statement, there is nothing about holding leadership accountable. Here lies a paradox, and a warning. For though the mission sets forth the noble ends of governance, it does not dwell upon the vigilance required to keep leaders true. History teaches us that principles, though noble, may be twisted when men of ambition rise. Recall the tale of the French Revolution: born in the name of liberty, it fell into terror when its leaders were left unchecked. Without accountability, even the most sacred mission can be corrupted by human frailty.

The lesson, therefore, is twofold: honor the mission, but never neglect the guardianship of the people. To cherish limited government, to defend the nation, to protect property, and to uphold values—all these require not only leaders of vision but citizens of vigilance. The mission statement is a compass, but it is the people who must steer the ship. Accountability is not written in the statement, but it is written in the duty of every man and woman who inherits the blessings of liberty.

So let us act in our own lives with this wisdom: learn the principles that guide our institutions, defend them when they are threatened, but never surrender the right to question those who lead. Speak when leaders stray, vote with discernment, and teach your children not only the mission but also the responsibility of guardianship. For freedom is not merely granted; it is preserved by those who remember that vigilance is the eternal price of liberty.