Recently I had the incredible opportunity to hear the ideas of five brilliant men of our time, who are determined to save our country. The event was sponsored by Hillsdale College and held in Naples, FL, and the selection of speakers were voices that every American needs to hear.

The two-day seminar began with Governor Ron DeSantis. I knew it would be akin to a campaign speech, but it was much, much more. He was relentless in criticizing the powers-that-be, and determined to restore the freedoms of Floridians. I was especially impressed with his overall energy. Some people believe that he doesn’t demonstrate the rhetorical power of others in the political realm. But DeSantis was on fire that night. It wasn’t just his words, but his manner told everyone that he was in for the fight and would not give it up. Answering questions from Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, he made it clear that the vicious and malicious attacks were not going to stop him. When asked what we all needed to do to fight back, he forcefully stated, “Stand up and speak out!” We can no longer ignore or hide from the inroads of the Left. They must be stopped at every opportunity. This past week, DeSantis was looking at legislation that would prevent sexual orientation and gender identity from being taught in the schools. And he’s not finished.

Then we heard from Jason Reilly, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist at the Wall Street Journal. He has also written a book about Thomas Sowell. Jason Riley’s power comes from his scholarship, intensity, and determination. He was there to speak mainly about his Sowell book, Maverick, but let all of us know that he wasn’t backing down from the fight. In his Q&A, someone again asked what we needed to do: “Stand up and speak out!” He especially emphasized that people have stood back for too long a time, letting others speak for them, and he called on all of us to see our roles in preserving our freedoms.

One of the most fascinating speakers we heard was Richard Baris, a pollster who calls himself “The People’s Pundit.” He is an outcast of the larger polling community, since he has repeatedly called them out on their illegitimate and unethical actions. He has been banned from platforms and reinstated, and lets everyone know how appalled he is at the lack of updating and integrity in the polling industry. He pointed out that when the numbers are wrong, weeks before an election, the Left is always favored—by a lot. He explained that the higher numbers improve fundraising for a campaign. He also refuses to work with media organizations because their polling is substandard, except he recently made an exception to work with The Epoch Times, due to their commitment to integrity. He heatedly attacked Nate Silver and FiveThirtyEight, and his ilk, who are basically in bed with the politicians on the Left. He’s also not afraid to speak out when he knows that the data has been manipulated. During his Q&A, he was asked how Trump’s polling was showing currently. I was surprised to hear that his numbers keep climbing! He recommended we find a couple of pollsters we know that we can trust (which doesn’t mean they’re flawless but they are responsible and ethical); he gave high marks to Trafalgar. And for those of us who want to make a difference: Stand up and speak out!!

The last guest speaker was Dr. Gad Saad, a professor at Concordia University in Canada. He is a friend of Jordan Peterson. Saad is also fearless, not afraid to take on anyone who distorts reality, or especially plays the victim card. He amusedly told us that he wasn’t afraid to go up against chronic victims. He just tells them they shouldn’t try the victim card on a man who was a Jewish child in the violence of war-torn Lebanon; they couldn’t tell him anything about being a victim! His presentation was filled with irony and humor, and he speaks out from many different platforms, including interviewing with Joe Rogan. In his Q&A, someone asked how he’s managed to keep his job; he credits his “victim persona” which stops people in their tracks. But trust me, the man is no victim. And yes, he insisted we all needed to stand up and speak out.

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You might have noticed a theme throughout these presentations. The seminar was called, “America’s Uncertain Future.” And all of the presenters, in some way, insisted that they had the future in their sights, but their personal visions were dominated by the work that had to be done now. They were all fighters, who had not given up on their commitment to virtue, but also were not afraid to take on those who thought they could control the narrative. They were bruised and bloodied, but they weren’t going to be stopped. They’d been harangued and de-platformed but didn’t give up. They were in for the long haul in preserving the foundations and future of our country.

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Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, also made a deep impression on everyone, particularly those who want to keep the future in their sights. This is the man behind the creation of new charter and private schools in classical education. What is exciting is that one year ago, they had plans to start four more schools; they now have plans to start 60 more! Here is a brief summary:

Hillsdale College’s K-12 Education Office directly supports 20 classical K-12 charter schools in 10 states through the Barney Charter School Initiative, with additional schools opening each year. More than 13,500 students are enrolled in these schools, with combined waiting lists of over 7,000. Dozens more charter and private schools across the country are also licensed to use Hillsdale’s K-12 curriculum, which includes a strong American civics component. Hillsdale Classical Schools place an emphasis on the liberal arts and cultivating moral and intellectual virtue. Through these efforts, Hillsdale College is returning excellence to K-12 education.

Let there be no doubt that Dr. Arnn is as passionate about the future of this country as the men who addressed us in the two-day seminar. He knows that all of them, and those people like them, will be key to the country moving forward successfully.

Those people are us.

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One last thought: As we watch the fighting unfold in Ukraine, it reminds us that there are still people who will fight for their country, with rifles and kitchen knives. If they can’t fight, they will help their neighbors. And if they can’t help their neighbors, they will do whatever they can to keep their country alive.

Do they have something to teach us?