Viewpoints
Opinion

Responsibility Is the Forgotten Root of Freedom

Responsibility Is the Forgotten Root of Freedom
An aerial view of snow covering a farm near Belvidere, Ill., on Dec. 9, 2025. Scott Olson/Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00
Commentary

People often ask me why those who live outside cities tend to resist regulation and government interference more instinctively. Many assume the divide must be political—Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus liberal, red versus blue. But the real distinction is far simpler and far more human: When you live rurally, you must take responsibility for more of your own life, and responsibility changes you.

Mollie Engelhart
Mollie Engelhart
Author
Mollie Engelhart, regenerative farmer and rancher at Sovereignty Ranch, is committed to food sovereignty, soil regeneration, and educating on homesteading and self-sufficiency. She is the author of “Debunked by Nature”: Debunk Everything You Thought You Knew About Food, Farming, and Freedom—a raw, riveting account of her journey from vegan chef and LA restaurateur to hands-in-the-dirt farmer, and how nature shattered her cultural programming.