Liberty YAF Club Hosts Virginia State Delegate Nick Freitas

Liberty University’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) welcomed Virginia State Delegate Nick Freitas to speak and answer students’ questions April 10 in DeMoss Hall 1332. 

Freitas began his time with the students by discussing the concept of freedom and how different people have various perceptions of what this idea entails. For Freitas, the definition of freedom has always aligned with what is described in the Declaration of Independence, particularly the element of citizens remaining “free from governmental oppression.” However, Freitas noted the modern definition of American freedom for many people has come to be thought of as a “freedom of want.”  

“I started realizing that a lot of people talked about freedom as this idea of freedom from want. If there was anything that was an impediment of what … you thought you were entitled to, you were somehow being denied basic freedoms,” Freitas said. 

Drawing from an example from his time in the Virginia General Assembly, Freitas recalled a drafted bill that stated that everyone has a right to clean drinking water. He then explained how commodities have come to be commonly thought of as basic freedoms and rights.  

“I don’t think you can have … an inherent right, in the way that we typically talk about these things in relation to freedom, … to a commodity. I can’t have right to goods and services which have to be produced and created through the labor of somebody else,” Freitas said.  

Before the event transitioned into its Q&A portion, Freitas highlighted the passage of Philippians 4:7, which he sees as a source of comfort amidst both the things he’s both frustrated and excited about regarding current events across the country. 

“It’s not the peace because everything’s going your way and you’re wealthy and you’re healthy and everything is happy and secure,” Freitas said. “It’s the sort of peace you have in the midst of the storm when everyone else is confused and terrified.”  

During the Q&A session, students’ questions included a query as to how Christian men should persevere despite the possibility of being labeled as misogynistic by cultural standards. Frietas was also asked to describe the biggest adjustment he and his wife experienced after getting married, and the delegate additionally shared his opinion on couples marrying young while battling mountainous debt. 

One student, Cole Heckle, shifted the topic of conversation to ask if Freitas thought the government should promote virtues. Freitas’ main concern was who within the government decides what is virtuous.  

“If you need the law to tell you to be moral, we’re probably in a fairly dangerous place,” Freitas said. “And what we see right now is that we have a lot of people who have not only redefined freedom and rights, … they’ve also redefined virtue and they are all about using government power to compel you to go along with their version of virtue.” 

Sophomore Silas Bosch queried Freitas about the monopolization of BlackRock — a large-scale investment company — and its imposition “on freedoms of others.” Freitas said that people often attack “laissez-faire” capitalism, instead of recognizing the negative impact of unregulated capitalism.  

“A lot of what BlackRock has done, in the way that they’ve accumulated power, is due to government policy. … BlackRock gets their money in large part because they have benefited from inflationary monetary policies as a direct result of government action,” Freitas said. “… Our problem … is not that we have too much freedom. It’s that we’ve created such a massive government bureaucracy that the people closest … get unfair competitive advantages over everyone else.” 

Elise Looney admired how compassionate Freitas was in his responses to the students’ questions.  

“It was really cool to see how he answered the questions, both so thoroughly and so logically but with a lot of compassion,” Looney said.  

Bosch appreciated Freitas’ conviction to align whatever he does in politics in accordance to his biblical worldview.  

“(It’s the) personal responsibility of us all to do the right thing no matter what … to integrate Jesus in all aspects of our life, which will be difficult, and it guarantees that life’s a struggle,” Bosch said. “So I really appreciated that takeaway of Jesus at the center and life will end up being what he makes of it.” 

Isaiah Varella, president of YAF, hoped students would be inspired by Freitas’ discussion on American freedom and be encouraged to persevere for what they believe in wherever they go.  

“I hope students can learn to be passionate in what they believe in. He’s (Freitas) passionate in what he believes in, and it’s evident,” Varella said. “… I hope people … leave feeling inspired to work hard for what they believe in and what they are passionate about.” 

For more information about YAF’s upcoming events, visit its Instagram @lu_yaf.  

Sturek is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion