Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country

In the quiet neighborhoods of Bloomington, Illinois, a young boy learned early lessons that would shape his entire life. His family, grounded in faith and community, provided a mosaic of values that blended love, discipline, and a sense of duty. The church was more than a place of worship; it was a sanctuary of order and belonging. Within the Independent Fundamental Baptist tradition, the boy experienced a world where obedience and conformity were not just encouraged but demanded. Rules governed everything from dress to music, from social interaction to moral conduct. Such environments often create a paradoxical mix of security and pressure, nurturing deep community bonds while sometimes stifling individuality.

Yet, amidst this strictness, his parents offered a more moderate path, encouraging independent thought and kindness beyond rigid doctrine. This balance allowed the boy to develop an early sense of conscience and an independent streak. His childhood was peppered with small rebellions—wearing shorts to a church outing, using mild expletives on a youth bus—that highlighted the tension between personal freedom and communal expectations.

Politics entered his life not as abstract theory but as a living, breathing reality. Local elections, church leaders’ involvement in political groups, and family conversations about governance and values planted seeds of curiosity. The boy observed how religion and politics intertwined, especially through the rise of conservative Christian political activism in the 1980s and 1990s. Events like the Christian Coalition's national conference, attended with his father, revealed the power and urgency of a movement determined to shape the nation’s future according to its vision.

These formative years were a crucible where faith, family, and politics melded. The boy’s early understanding of right and wrong, community and individuality, tradition and change, set the foundation for a journey that would later challenge both his party and himself. From these roots sprang a commitment to values that transcended party lines and demanded courage in the face of shifting political landscapes.

As the boy grew, so did his awareness of the complexities of governance and the importance of standing for principles, even when it meant walking a lonely path. This early chapter closes with the recognition that true conviction is often forged in the quiet moments of childhood and the subtle tensions between belonging and independence.

From these beginnings, we move forward to explore how a young man’s passion for service grew into a dedication to military and public life, setting the stage for the challenges that lay ahead.