If someone were to ask you what the difference between a soldier and a civilian is, would you know what to say?

Recently, I was handed a book that asked (as well as answered) the same question.

“The difference…lies in the field of civic virtue. A soldier accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not.” (Heinlein, Starship Troopers, pages 32-33)

In our case as Americans, the body politic (the people of a nation, state, or society considered collectively as an organized group of citizens) is articulated ultimately through our national Constitution, its amendments, and the rights and freedoms it provides us. By definition, being a soldier means safeguarding those rights and freedoms. Furthermore, being a soldier does not require that an individual has been sworn into government service. It simply requires that an individual takes it upon themselves to actively defend their freedoms and the freedoms of those around them.

In my opinion, there are much more powerful ways of “accepting moral responsibility for the safety of the body politic” then joining the United States Military. One way to take responsibility for protecting your rights is through civil action. Take for example the people of Hong Kong who are, as we speak, marching against the tyranny of mainland China and its oppressive police state government. Every one of the Hong Kong protestors has a life they are risking for the sake of preserving their freedoms and the freedoms of their neighbors, family and loved ones. Personally, I feel blessed that I’ve had the privilege of watching the Hong Kong people rise up against an oppressive government that underestimated them. The vehemence of their protests goes to show just how powerful a group of people can be when they commit to fighting for their freedom – a mentality shared by the revolutionists who signed the Declaration of Independence.

In my experience, the oppression the American colonists experienced in the 1700s and the oppression of the people of China experience now is the same kind of oppression prisoners experience. American prisoners, like the colonists, have no representation and are punished for expressing themselves. Institutional injustice is often brushed off with superficial excuses like “this is prison, you have no rights” when nothing can be further from the truth.

Think about this: after you’ve been wronged by someone or something has anyone ever told you that “the world doesn’t owe you anything?”

This is a lie. The world does in fact owe us justice when it wrongs us. The harsh reality that we all have to face is the fact that we have to seek and attain justice ourselves. The world nor its governments can provide it for us without us taking action first.

If you take it upon yourself to become an American soldier, you take it upon yourself to be responsible for not only your own justice, liberties and rights but the justice, liberty and rights of ALL Americans, including those incarcerated. An American soldier follows the principals of resistance we’ve inherited from that first revolution. Therefore, an American soldier does not submit blindly to the orders and doctrines of a political party or religious institution; they constantly ask “Why?” and question authority.

Everyone has the ability to become a soldier and take action against those who would rob them of their rights. Every inch of this fight matters. Whatever act, no matter how small, taken to preserve the American way of life is meaningful. I implore you, reader, to think about one thing you can do in service to defend our body politic and do it.