Fueled by Liberty

I started this website primarily to remind Americans that liberty, and the power of individuals, drive our great nation.

Throughout my life I’ve been extremely grateful for the opportunities America offers, big and small. There is nothing more exciting, more energizing, than having a wide range of options at any decision point. What to learn. How to serve. Where to live. What to eat. What music to listen to. To friend or not to friend. Where to work. Where to run. The power to choose, courtesy of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

It saddens, alarms and perplexes me that many Americans don’t seem to believe freedom applies to themselves. This is my message to those dispirited folks: Liberty puts YOU in charge of your life. YOU can make good things happen. In turn, YOU help make America exceptional.

But there are some basic rules.

You must live responsibly. Freedom comes with an immense obligation to make good choices, to learn from your mistakes, to be a good neighbor.

You must live honestly. When trust dies, so does productivity, creativity, charity, empathy.

You must live earnestly. Our limits are often self-imposed. Don’t box yourself in, try something different! Liberty provides a springboard to succeed, rebound from failures, exceed dreams.

In 2010 I created a phrase that captures these sentiments, to write on my Detroit Marathon Relay race bib. “Fueled By Liberty”. Simple, yet big. Hmmm...wouldn’t it be cool to see other runners in a race wearing this phrase?* For that matter, wouldn’t it be cool to spot neighborhood exercisers wearing this phrase?

Thus an idea was born.

Later, I thought of parallels between liberty and running: Both are easy to lose without practice, and hard to regain once lost. Like a marathon, the race to preserve liberty is a test of individual will.

Proclaim your independence! Don’t lose liberty, and don’t waste it!

I am an Active Patriot. I hope you are, too.

- Jenean Hampton

*If you’re a slow runner like me, you see LOTS of shirt backs. In the Detroit race, relay teams wear a special bib on their backs, to prevent struggling runners becoming disheartened when fresh runners speed past them.

About Jenean

Proclaim Your Independence!