I am extremely passionate about ending global poverty. However, lately I’ve been realizing more and more that my great passion to end poverty, is in direct conflict with many of the principles I hold dear.

When I say “communism” I am NOT referring to the system of government in which the state operates under a one-party system and declares allegiance to Marxism-Leninism. All I am saying is that the only way poverty could ever truly be erased, is if the entire world became a community where every single person shared everything they had with each other.

The problem is, humans are inherently selfish, and the only way to have everyone share everything, would be to force them to. Robbing them of their freedom and liberty. If one person has the freedom to keep what they have, while everyone else is sharing, they are taking something away from the collective, making the collective have less, thus creating the path to poverty.

I understand what President Obama is trying to do. I completely believe that he truly wants what is best for the country. I believe he is passionate about helping the poor and shortening the gap between the rich and poor to create a more equal society. He wants to provide health care for every person and give every person the opportunity to lead a healthy, happy, and good life. But we have to ask ourselves what principles do we live by as a nation? Do we really stand for freedom and liberty? Or, are we only about what’s best for us?

I believe we are at a place as a nation of discovering who we are today. Are we people who believe in freedom and liberty? Or have we as a nation become happy with whatever our government gives because it may make our lives better for a short while? We have to understand that to live free, has a great cost. A cost that I don’t think my generation has ever understood. Are we willing to pay for freedom?

So, what am I to do? I am still passionate about ending poverty. But my principles are that man should be free and government should be limited in how it can intrude on the lives of the people. I believe the solution to ending poverty, and maintaining liberties is education and relationships. If each of us become givers who are generous with what we have, we can choose to come together to solve common problems. If we simply let the government run our lives to erase poverty, then we have simply become slaves to the state. Perhaps you might have a slightly higher quality of life, but without freedom, that is not a life I want to have.