“Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions — The Eyes of all our Countrymen are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the Tyranny mediated against them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and shew the whole world, that a Freeman contending for Liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.” —George Washington (1776)

It would be an understatement to suggest that 2016 was the most difficult year of my life — thus far. I know many of you, our fellow American Patriots, experienced a similar year.

But taking account of 2016 in full, there was much for which to be grateful.

Our editors rise long before the sun every day, prepared to do battle on many fronts to sustain Liberty for this and future generations. And we defend that jewel against relentless assaults by its most ardent foes — those who would replace our constitutional Rule of Law with their statist rule of men.

Some battlefronts are colossal, while others are more manageable. Your Patriot team and I have, at times, been battered by events over the last decade — events that can diminish morale and stamina. But we’ve remained steadfast in our drive and determination to defend Liberty.

Yes, we ended last year on a lighter note of political correctness, wishing you a Happy Christmahanakwamadanice!, and we started this year pointing to a “2016 Year in Review” by that most erudite of political and social observers, satirist Dave Barry.

The exigencies of our times have indeed been challenging, but, in retrospect, there was much more in 2016 for which to be grateful than I could see through the daily fog of war!

First, and most noteworthy for our nation, is the reprieve given our Constitution and Republic from the endless direct assaults of the past eight years. Indeed, I believe that most of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees would meet with the full and unconditional approval of Ronald Reagan.

The 115th Congress convened yesterday, and with Republicans controlling both chambers and the presidency for the first time since 2006, they have lined up the most significant conservative agenda in more than a century.

Trump’s simple mantra, “Make America Great Again,” is borrowed from President Reagan’s slogan, “Let’s make America great again.” But here is our slogan for 2017: “Let’s ALL make America great again!” Many of us have been necessarily focused on the political division in our country for the last decade, but it’s time to refocus. It’s now time to advance a unified front for Liberty.

Second, and more personally, I’m both grateful and deeply humbled that on Constitution Day, September 17th of last year, The Patriot Post observed its 20th anniversary. We’re a young news and policy organization in the traditional sense, but we are also the oldest of conservative policy digests on the Web. It’s hard to believe that, back in 1996, there were only a handful of conservative organizations breaking ground in what was then a “new medium.”

I began last year concerned that, after two decades, we would end the year under yet another oppressive statist regime. Instead, 2016 closed stronger than I could have imagined and we are on a firm financial footing.

As you know, we aren’t sustained by any political, special interest or parent organization, and we don’t accept any advertising in order that our mission remains beholden solely to one cause — Liberty. Thank you for standing with us and enduring our Patriots Day, Independence Day and year-end requests for support. In addition to mission and operations, your sustenance keeps our web pages and emails clean of obnoxious ads, and, unlike most commercial sites, we never share your information with third-party advertisers and the like.

When I think of the conscientious and hardworking young editors and staff on our team who have young families and mortgages themselves, I take pride in asking for your support.

And among our supporters, I owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those who send their “widows mites,” despite the fact we ask support only from those who are able. While our average donation is $58, we often receive checks for $10 or $15 with letters of apology for not sending more.

One such letter in December noted, “I am so sorry for sending so little. I lost my job in 2013 and have taken one far below my skill set and previous wages. We are barely keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table for our kids, but God miraculously sustains us. Thank you for being so faithful in all you do.”

Those letters keep it all in perspective for us.

With gratitude.

And last but not least, I’m deeply grateful to my family for tolerating a husband and father who is often distracted with the heavy burdens of the world.

In the final months of 2016, with the stress of keeping our substantial mission and operations capability at full throttle, I ended the year exhausted.

In our household, I share this maxim with my family: “Attitude is a reflection of Gratitude, and a grateful heart results in a joyful spirit.” But my attitude reflected fatigue manifested by a lack of gratitude. (In such times, I invoke the Iron Law of Parental Hypocrisy: Do as I say, not as I do.)

Despite my tired spirit, we celebrated a warm Christmas together, grateful to be all under one roof if only for 48 hours.

Charging into 2017, with all of the formidable challenges awaiting us, your Patriot team has renewed its resolve in support of Liberty — and we’re locked and loaded. We pray that you, too, are renewed, and that you share our deep sense of gratitude for generations of Patriots gone before and in thanksgiving to God Almighty for His endowment of Liberty!

I humbly ask your prayers for our team’s mission — that it would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of a growing number of our countrymen. And please pray the Lord’s blessing upon our nation, especially our military Patriots and their families.

In the eternal words of George Washington on the defense of Liberty, “Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!”

Pro Deo et Constitutione — Libertas aut Mors
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis