Hi!

The Simple Liberty Movement is not about me. However, because I founded it, it’s polite to introduce myself.

About 40 years ago, I had a vision that’s only gained clarity in time: America is in trouble because powerful people - our ruling class - are unwilling to do what’s right. Their focus is on staying in power and increasing their wealth.

Every four years I’ve hoped for a presidential candidate who is committed to the common good. They’ll find the best way, do the right thing, and make decisions that demonstrate everyone matters equally.

Unfortunately, every four years I’ve been disappointed. Today, things are worse than ever. Left unchecked, America will soon no longer be free. It’s simply the truth. Everything dies when it is not nurtured and protected. Our nation is a great one - but throughout history, other great nations have fallen when they abandoned their founding values.

The only hope is for commoners - ordinary citizens like us - to lead our nation out of this pit.

We - just ordinary citizens - are fortunate:

1. Our Constitution puts us in charge through elections. But people of good conscience must know the issues and vote.

2. Our Constitution and founding documents established the greatest nation for the common good - ever. But citizens of good character must steward it.

Our battle is first with ourselves. As common citizens, we have been too passive, which has allowed our ruling class - politicians, billionaires, and bullies - to exploit our nation.

Why did I wait 40 years to start this movement? Good question.

I was long on vision, conviction, and aptitude 40 years ago, but short on skills. So, I spent the last four decades building them - coaching leaders for 20 years, training thousands of people in leadership, hiring, and culture, writing five books, hosting more than 300 podcast episodes.

None of it made me special - but all of it taught me that everyday Americans, united as a team, can drive this nation to a better place.

Simple Liberty is a nonpartisan movement where regular citizens work together, respectfully, to solve our nation’s problems. We all agree America has problems. Together, ordinary citizens can confirm the facts, provide the reasoning, and propose viable solutions that are best for the common good.

Simple Liberty is restoring trust in the truth - real facts, real people, real solutions.

Please avoid getting caught up in personalities and media hype. Turn it off. Instead, focus on an issue you care about. What does it mean? What evidence explains it? How is it impacting people? And what’s the best solution for the common good? This is what we do at Simple Liberty.

Our work develops solutions that keep a free people free. Then, you can:

1. Understand an issue and its viable solution that serves the common good.

2. Have the facts to support polite discussion.

3. Engage effectively with your elected officials on the issues you care about.

The road ahead is tough. But history shows that’s when America is at its best.

Are you with me?

We can do this.

Sincerely,

David Russell

CEO & Founder

Simple Liberty Foundation

P.S. You can call me Dave, David, Russ, Russell, or Coach. I only ask that you address me in a nice tone of voice. :)

Trust, transparency, and responsibility are core values that guide our work.

We believe people are hungry for truth, facts, civility, solutions, and transparency - people whom they can trust. We are not perfect, but we are driven to find the best way, do the right thing, and demonstrate our belief that everyone matters.

We want to earn and maintain your trust, even when we disagree.

Despite our diligent processes, we sometimes make mistakes or simply decide to improve some of our work. We promptly and transparently communicate updates to readers when we: (1) find a clearer way to word or format something; (2) identify an error, such as a factual inaccuracy or omission; or (3) receive new facts, confirm them, and update the affected documents.

Here’s how we use AI, and a few related things:

Use of General Artificial Intelligence (GAI) Tools

We use GAI daily. AI makes us better and saves us time. AI also makes mistakes, which is why humans review and edit everything.

Here are some of the ways we use AI:

Writing: David works primarily with Claude - developing ideas and outlines, debating concepts, and editing drafts. He submits full drafts for editing, or detailed prompts to develop new content.

As we grow, our employed and volunteer teams will be encouraged to do the same.

Summaries: We summarize posts in Claude. Summaries are then reviewed to confirm they include the parts we feel are important. We may wordsmith parts of the draft summaries.

Research: We lean heavily on Claude for research and test other models. Every link is checked. All citations are reviewed. We provide direction on where to search with instructions to go beyond our parameters to find facts over opinion.

Image Creation: We use a variety of AI tools to generate images. Unless credited otherwise, images are AI-generated.

Information Shared with GAI Models: We do not permit our content to be used to train AI models where that setting is within our control.

Our Revenue: As a California nonprofit corporation that has applied to the IRS for recognition, our revenue is totally dependent on donations. Revenue streams will expand in the future, possibly with events, talks, consulting, or sponsored “stuff” - which will be identified as such. Specifically, when and what is unknown at this time.

We accept no advertising. We never rent our list. We don’t accept referral revenue.

If any of this changes, this statement will be updated, and we will post the change.

In Conclusion: We welcome polite reader feedback and hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical standards.

P.S. Our thanks to Katie Harbath, the founder of Anchor Change, who provided a more detailed sample disclosure for us to consider. Katie is a consultant, speaker, and writer focused on the intersection of technology and democracy. We encourage you to check out her work.

In the process, we meet and interact with others who care about America. We rarely agree 100% with anyone - but we commit to be nice as we develop solutions for the common good.

We come together to more deeply comprehend facts and history - truth - about issues and solutions. Opinions are important, but facts are the foundation for us to develop enduring solutions - as wise, discerning, responsible citizens and voters.

These Rules of Engagement are for Members - the only ones who can post their thoughts in Discussion areas and participate in certain volunteer meetings online, with in-person gatherings possibly in 2027.

These are the expectations that guide our community. We require ourselves to live by them, and extend that same standard to all Members.

1. Be nice. We cannot control how someone else behaves, but we are 100% responsible for our behavior. Think before writing. Work through drafts if necessary to meet or exceed the standards you have set for others. Then post.

   If someone is rude, cussing, name-calling, harassing, or threatening - simply do not respond. Take a screenshot and report the situation to us. We will investigate. Members who cannot behave will no longer be members.

2. OK not to agree. Don’t be surprised or offended when people politely disagree with you - or when their tone is reasonable but they use words different from yours. Expect it. Accept that people may not be ready to change some of their conclusions - yet.

   We encourage respectful disagreement and shared suggestions for how to research, define, and improve our solutions. No one knows everything. No one is always totally right. Respect the rights of others to have their opinions and conclusions, just as you want your thoughts sincerely considered - live the Golden Rule.

3. Respect our process. We purposefully move at a steady pace to confirm what’s best for the common good, not the pace of outrage. Not too fast. Not too slow - “Goldilocks speed.”

   This is because (a) Relationships are most important; (b) The best decisions take time. New facts come to light that help clarify what’s best for the common good - in community, before we formally propose a solution, and after we post content.

   Remember how we roll: Find the best way. Do the right thing. Everyone matters.

   Use our 4Q Scrolls (link) questioning process to understand - not to convert.

4. No self-promotion. Do not self-promote or spam. Do not offer anything for sale - directly or indirectly.

5. Share facts. We encourage you to mention and post links - even your own or those of your organization - that are credible facts, history, studies - even with your opinion. We reserve the right to remove any post that seems to be purposefully misrepresenting the facts, or add a warning to it stating our concern.

6. Be succinct. Work with AI if you want to confirm the tone and content of your post, but prompt your AI to confirm your approach is clear, direct, and respectful.

7. Issue specific. Post in the discussion space of the issue’s claim, sub-claim, or post (e.g., Commoners Corner, Paul Revere updates) related to your comment, suggested fact link(s), and/or opinion you would like considered.

8. Add value. Sincerely thank people when you agree - and when you disagree - but unless you really feel your wording is more succinct - try not to repeat what they’ve said in your post. Provide links to facts that reinforce your thoughts.

9. Real profile. Have a real profile as a Member. You don’t have to reveal personal details, but do introduce yourself to others and ideally include a recent photo. We are brothers and sisters in the ongoing competition to maintain our liberty.

10. No gamification. We purposely do not have a leaderboard or gamify participation. This movement is about all Americans. We win as a team, not as individuals competing with one another for recognition. Let’s humbly work together for the common good.

We also encourage Members to embrace Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 Birmingham Civil Rights Movement Pledge as a standard for our behavior. (link)

The Simple Liberty road will be fun, engaging, and meaningful. But we will be attacked by detractors - the wealthy and political ruling class, and other corrupt power seekers bent on forcefully taking away our freedoms.

Dr. King and his movement taught us how to respond peacefully in love - courageously, wisely, and effectively. Self-defense is always an acceptable response to physical threats. For everything else, we defer to professional law enforcement and the military - the institutions established to maintain order and protect citizens.

Moderation of The Commons

We moderate Member discussions based on behavior - not opinions. If something crosses the line, we may:

• Remove a post and warn the Member.

• Issue a final warning to a Member for violating these Rules of Engagement.

• Suspend a Member’s access for a period of time.

• Remove a Member from The Commons indefinitely for recurring or blatant violation of these Rules of Engagement.

Questions? Send them to: info@simpleliberty.com

Make a difference. Why? Because you can.

Think for yourself - but join us to revive American values, virtues, safety, peace, and prosperity.We can do this.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference asked every participant to root themselves in nonviolence and spiritual discipline, fully committed to justice, love, and peaceful resistance - even in the face of arrest and violence.

We hold up this pledge not because our trials equal theirs. The men, women, and children of that movement, especially Americans of African descent, bore burdens and dangers we hope to never face.

We embrace this pledge because they proved something for all Americans: Ordinary citizens, disciplined in love and unshaken by their opponents’ conduct, can change a nation without becoming what they oppose.

That discipline is what we ask of ourselves at Simple Liberty. We believe the common good is threatened today by the corruption of a growing ruling class - the powerful and the privileged - who bend our laws and institutions to their own advantage.

Throughout history - in America and around the world - the warning is clear: Where corruption and concentrated power go unchallenged, it is ordinary citizens who lose their freedoms. That is why the Simple Liberty movement matters now, for all of us.

We mean to confront and stop the growing corruption and ruling class domination, as the Birmingham movement confronted injustice: Peacefully, truthfully, and without hatred, no matter how our opponents behave.

Dr. King and his movement taught us how to respond courageously, wisely, and effectively. Self-defense is always an acceptable response to physical threat. For everything else, we defer to professional law enforcement and the military - the institutions established to maintain order and protect citizens.

Thank you, Dr. King, the SCLC of your time, and every person who lived out this commitment.

We can do this.

The Pledge

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.

2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation - not victory.

3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.

4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.

5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.

6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.

7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.

8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.

9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

10. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

“I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.”

The original Commitment Card was printed by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, the Birmingham affiliate of the SCLC; Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, President.

We considered many reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King’s 10 Commandments for the Civil Rights Movement. However, we were inspired most by this one (thank you!) - https://www.whitefeatherproject.net/

Who is this for

The Birmingham movement was rooted in the Black church, and this pledge reflects that faith openly.

We present it unchanged as a standard for our Members. At Simple Liberty, you do not have to be a Christian to share its discipline.

Like our nation’s founders who built on a common moral foundation, we welcome Americans of every belief who will live by these principles - courtesy toward friend and foe, service to others, gratitude for our blessings, responsible stewardship, and the resolve to defend clear boundaries of fairness, rights, and peace.

This shared moral ground is a cornerstone of what unites us - not a religious test.

Confirm truth

In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd boy was looking for a lost goat near the Dead Sea. He threw a rock into a cave and heard something shatter. When he investigated, he found clay jars containing scrolls that had been hidden for almost two thousand years.

The scrolls were discovered in eleven caves around Qumran. They contained biblical texts, commentaries, and community rules. These documents confirmed the accuracy of Scripture we read today and revealed how a community of truth-seekers lived.

The Qumran community didn’t just preserve truth. They built their lives around discovering it, testing it, and protecting it from corruption. They understood something most people today have forgotten - that truth is worth fighting for. Worth sacrificing for. Worth building your life around.

They were so committed to preserving truth that they hid these scrolls in caves, sealed in jars, protected from the elements and from those who would destroy them.

Just as the Qumran community tested every text against the standard of truth, 4Q Scrolls invites you to test people’s claims - including your own - against four cornerstone questions before you make decisions or build your life on them.

What 4Q Scrolls is

4Q Scrolls is a critical thinking process. Critical thinking is the disciplined practice of questioning assumptions, evaluating facts and evidence, and reasoning clearly to reach sound conclusions grounded in truth - rather than accepting information at face value or defaulting to emotion, bias, or habit.

The desired outcome is to find the best solution based on facts, truth, and what is best for the common good over the long term.

The 4Q Scrolls process serves an individual, a group or a nation.

The name

The “4” names the four questions, which act as cornerstones that support a foundation of truth. Like the cornerstones of a building, each one must be solidly placed. If one fails, the reliability of the solution is weakened or will not stand.

The “Q” stands for Questions. More importantly, “Q Scrolls” refers to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and to the patient, diligent work the Qumran community practiced - confirming truth and living it out. Scholars label every scroll from Qumran’s richest cave with the prefix 4Q. The name of this process was prepared for us.

How the process works

Every 4Q Scrolls inquiry begins by naming what is being examined. Three steps come before the four questions are asked.

ISSUE

The general area of the problem or solution. Simple Liberty organizes its work into eight Issues: Republic, Culture, Economy, Elections, Environment, Health, Justice, and Security. (link)

Issues can be very broad. When they are, it helps to organize Topics within them.

TOPIC

A narrower area within an Issue. Simple Liberty examines 53 Topics across all eight Issues (as of July 2026). For example, the Topics of Elections are Campaign Finance, District Integrity, Election Integrity, Primaries, and Voting Access. (link)

To understand a Topic, you consider one Claim at a time.

CLAIM

The core assertion made by an individual or group, to be tested against alternatives. A Claim within Election Integrity is: Government-issued photo ID and signature verification should be required at the time of voting.

To be tested, a Claim must be clear, direct, and one idea - stated precisely. Then you can list its Sub-Claims and counterclaims in order of importance, and work through them.

SUB-CLAIM

A load-bearing premise beneath a Claim. Every Sub-Claim must hold for the Claim to stand. Competing Claims are alternatives - one may be right where another is wrong. Sub-Claims are not alternatives. They are the supports.

The four questions

Each question has two parts. The first word, in capitals, names the category - drawn from classic debate vocabulary, the CWEI model, and critical thinking models. Each word is followed by its 4Q Scrolls question.

Q1 - MEANING | What do you mean?

Meaning questions ask or research what the person or group means by their claim.

In conversation, use active listening skills. Ask. Listen. Repeat back a summary to confirm understanding. Repeat the process - as needed - until you understand their claim.

When doing research, follow a similar process using AI. Word your prompts carefully. Free courses on using AI well are available from major universities and AI providers.

The outcome is to sincerely consider their opinion and understand their claim.

Q2 - EVIDENCE | Why do you believe that’s true?

Evidence questions ask or research why they believe their claim is true. Be alert - partial truths, exaggerations, assumptions, and lies are not evidence that support a claim.

If you are in a conversation - and it’s appropriate - use active listening skills again to confirm your understanding. Do not judge. Do not try to change their mind. Thank them for their candor.

Then, on your own, do your research.

The outcome is to respectfully understand their reasoning.

Q3 - IMPACT | Who and what are affected?

Impact questions consider what happens if the claim becomes reality - who and what are affected. It measures the change based on need, magnitude, probability it will occur as expected, and the time it will take to implement.

Every choice for something is a choice against something else. Every decision carries positive and negative outcomes - large or small.

The outcome is to consider the true effects of the claim.

Q4 - SOLUTION | What is best for the long-term common good?

Solution questions confirm the best way to serve the common good based on the facts. The solution may differ from the claim.

This step combines the data of the Meaning, Evidence, and Impact questions - including your research - to confirm that the facts from history, credible sources, and reputable testing or studies support your conclusions.

The outcome is to name the solution the facts support.

Want to see it?

We are just getting started.

Check out our process in The Commons.

Do you like The Commons, but want more?

Volunteer: Help us expand our library of Issues and proposed solutions. Email info@simpleliberty.com with your full name and three ways you’d like Simple Liberty to serve the common good of all Americans.

We will train and support your work on claims that interest you most, and are aligned with our purpose.

Why we show our work

Because you should carefully consider claims, not instantly accept them based on assumption, personal bias, or being sold opinions and manipulated facts.

Be honest about your own biases - the experiences and grievances that shape how you read and react to facts and experiences. Others have theirs, too. Recognizing this in yourself is the first step to thinking clearly.

Our research (Evidence) is public - at publication, and as it is updated. You can read the meaning, check the evidence, weigh the impact, and decide for yourself whether our proposed solution follows.

If it does not, tell us. (Members can join discussions.) If you have a fact we missed, confirm it is fact - not opinion - and send it.

We will edit our Issues section - the meanings, evidence, impacts, and proposed solutions - based on new facts.

We have to do so, for us to stay true to our standard: Based on confirmed facts, what is best for the common good of all Americans?

Truth grows stronger when it is tested by people committed to finding the best way, doing the right thing, and demonstrating everyone matters equally.

We can do this.