Remembering Fred Childress
No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow.
~Euripides~
It is with great sorrow that I report the loss of my friend, Fred Childress. Fred was on his way home in Tennessee at the end of a month-long, cross country motorcycle trip. I called him as he was riding north through California, and we made plans to talk again when he returned home so he could share stories about his two-wheel adventure. I remember thinking how much fun it would be to fly west, purchase a motorcycle, and finish the trip with him. Sadly, I’m told that someone in an SUV crossed the centerline and hit Fred head-on, killing him.
I do not recall the first time I met Fred, but I suspect it was sometime during my presidential campaign. I can’t imagine him without that contageous smile of his which always gave me hope for the future of Liberty. Fred was one of those people who couldn’t do enough to promote the cause of freedom, always finding the time to promote dozens of patriot causes. Fred was the one who organized my Constitution class in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in January of 2009. He filled the room with 136 people that weekend, which is the largest class size I’ve ever presented to. Fred was honest, sincere, and a true friend. I will miss him for a long time, and I extend my deepest sympathy to his family, and anyone who had the good fortune to know him.
It occurs to me that Fred no longer has to worry about Liberty. The IRS can’t steal from him any more, and his rights will never be violated again. Those of us who mourn his passing have a limited amount of time to accomplish our goals – whatever they may be. Too often we postpone the really important things because we are focused on the day-to-day activities immediately before us. Fred was always careful not to let the day-to-day requirements of life become more important than his fight for Liberty. That is precisely why we admire him so much, and why we grieve his loss so strongly. Fortunately, you and I still have time to emulate his example by spending a larger percentage of our time defending the Constitution, and the rights of those around us. With a little luck and lots of hard work, people may stand in admiration of what we have accomplished when it’s time for our eulogy to be read.
Thank you, Fred, for all you’ve done.
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