Dave is very passionate about politics, about freedoms, about what he believes in.  He also loves his pretty wife a lot, speaks a second language with my husband (no one else understands it.) and enjoys music, the great outdoors, and is a Yelp food reviewer. I focused a bit on the politics when I interviewed him, but I think they kind of tell you the greatness that Dave is.  We are blessed to have Dave in our lives, and now you are, too!

Tell us about your political views.
I believe in Liberty. Unfortunately, much of America has been hoodwinked into a false dichotomy regarding politics and political parties. They are told by the media that they are either on one side or the other of every issue, or they have to vote for one party or another. I don’t believe any of that. I believe in Liberty – being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on my way of life, behavior, or political views. I believe that Liberty is the most important thing each of us possesses. Liberty is not collective. It is individual and personal. I believe that people – despite what the news media portrays constantly – are generally good, caring, and desire liberty. Everyone wants to be free to make their own decisions, but it entails a lot of responsibility and sacrifice.

Thomas Jefferson said: “Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others?” I think that before we seek to use the law as a means to enforce our beliefs or morals upon each other that we should instead examine our own lives and see what we can do to make the world better and allow others their liberty.

My advice? Forget media “politics” and election cycles, focus on your local (city) government and what it’s doing, and make a difference. There is so much private interest that is bleeding dry tax paying citizens like you and I, yet most of us remain focused on presidential elections every 4 years and pay no attention to what is happening in our own city, county, or state.

Why are politics so important to you?
Calvin Coolidge, quite possibly my favorite president, said “The men and women of this country who toil are the ones to bear the cost of Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager.” The challenge of our generation (millennials) will be to cut the excess and secure our financial future from the man in Washington. It is my believe that the struggle to retain our civil and economic liberty that will be the challenge we face the rest of our life. I believe we are in the middle of a historical moment that will define our generation.

I’ve found great passion in the subject of Liberty and recommend checking out some books if you want to learn more (both philosophically and practically). “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat, “The Road to Serfdom” by FA Hayek, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Discovery of Freedom by Rose Wilder Lane, and Henry Hazlitt’s “Economics in one Lesson” and the very short pamphlet read “I, Pencil”

When was the last time you felt brave?
I don’t know if there’s one exact moment where I felt particularly brave or that was some extraordinary moment. I definitely feel a sense of bravery each time I am faced with decisions that challenge what I believe in. It seems like the majority of decisions I make on a day-to-day basis are the battle between what is easy and what is right. Doing the right thing is almost always more difficult, but in my experience there is a sense of resolve and enthusiasm that makes human nature rise above itself in acts of bravery when you make those difficult decisions. It requires sacrifice and in turn gives great satisfaction and a sense of contribution to something bigger and greater than just yourself.

What are you most proud of?
That’s a tough question because its something I haven’t ever pondered before. It may sound cliche, and totally unrelated to the theme of this interview, but the first thing that comes to mind was my decision to marry my wife, Taylor. I feel I’ve always had difficulty making commitments to things and other people because it feels like I am tying myself down or that it will in some way prevent me from accomplishing what I want. It was a terrifying decision to make, but I have come to find out that I was so wrong to feel insecure about it. I guess it was one of those “moments of bravery” you asked about. I knew it was right and went ahead with it and I feel that it has changed me as a person in so many positive ways. I’ve learned the joy of giving everything of yourself to people you love.

What does it mean to be an American?
This is an interesting question to me. I think its something that evokes a sense of strong nationalistic pride. To me, an American (currently) simply means to be a human whose primary residence happens to be within the boundaries of and under the authority of the US government.

I don’t think that bravery, striving for freedom, determination, or even individualism are characteristics that Americans have a monopoly on. Nor do I think all Americans even have such characteristics. Americans have a wide variety of people, from idiots to geniuses, from risk-takers to play-it-safe-ers, from courageous to cowardly, from devout to nihilistic, from compassionate to malevolent … just like in most every other country. Sure, our country was founded on these, but is it exclusive to Americans to have “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?”

If I had to give a distinct answer though, I would say that to be American means “to live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

Who was/is your favorite teacher? Why?
Definitely my dad. I feel like he is full of so much wisdom. It seems like anytime I have a question about anything whether its religious, philosophical, political, or just life knowledge, he has something interesting and profound to say that I hadn’t considered before. He’s provided me with a different perspective on many aspects of life that have helped me immensely.

Currently though, I would say I am really enjoying Tom Woods. I started listening to his podcast “The Tom Woods Show” about a year ago and its been extremely educational. He basically has shows about listener questions of current events and invites a lot of extremely smart and accomplished people on the show to talk about it. I’ve learned a ton just listening to it.

What is one of the most important lessons you remember learning as a child?
Responsibility. My parents growing up were the ultimate example to me. They sacrificed everything they wanted for themselves because they had a profound sense of responsibility in raising us correctly. I remember on multiple occasions where I would always blame my siblings, especially my sister Shara (sorry Shara;), of things that I had done wrong but didn’t want to get in trouble for. I did that over and over, and each time facing consequences for lying about it – you think I would have learned! Anyway, it instilled in my a strong sense of accepting responsibility for all my actions. As I’ve grown older this has extended into the way I interact with the world around me. Its allowed me to better see the impact my decisions make on people and on the earth and motivated me to live a sustainable, healthy, and contributive lifestyle.