MSI Press Blog

  Liberty is one of the most cherished ideals in American life. It’s etched into our founding documents, echoed in our national anthem, and invoked in countless debates. But liberty is not the same as license—and confusing the two can have dangerous consequences. Inspired by When Liberty Enslaves , this post explores how extremist movements often blur the line between principled freedom and reckless entitlement. ⚖️ What’s the Difference? Liberty is freedom governed by law, ethics, and mutual respect. License is doing whatever one wants, regardless of impact or consequence. Liberty invites responsibility. License rejects it. When individuals or groups claim the Constitution gives them the right to act without restraint—whether it’s refusing lawful orders, threatening others, or rejecting public safety measures—they’re not exercising liberty. They’re asserting license. 🔥 The Extremist Misuse of “Freedom” Extremist ideologies often weaponize the concept of liberty: Claim...

  This Pesach/Passover, I was by myself and, frankly, limited in what I could prepare. But that’s hardly an excuse for not observing the so very important and holy tradition of a seder. I am reminded of my brothers and sisters who celebrated the Passover during the Inquisition, and other who celebrated it during the Shoah. Hardship is no excuse. Indeed, a difficult Pesach is a reminder of our history. But for me it is more than that. Pesach/Passover is a deeply spiritual time to remember and reflect, both that freedom isn’t cheap and also that **everyone** deserves to be free – no exceptions. To me, Passover was never a story of the “poor Jews” being enslaved by the “evil Egyptians” and the God of the Jews entering into the affair of humanity to set His people free. Passover was the story of an oppressed people and how oppression must be resisted. Always. And today especially, we are reminded that oppression must be resisted. This year, then, Passover is especially relevant and clo...

    Just released:  When Liberty Enslaves by Jerry Aveta  (audiobook edition)   For more posts about Jerry and his book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?  We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us? Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help. Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start?  Our  author au pair  services will mentor yo...

  Excerpt from the pre-publication manuscript: Chapter 13 HOW DO WE USE OUR FREEDOM? “The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” --Aung San Suu Kyi   ·        When the lockdowns began in March 2020 to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, “to flatten the curve,” we were shocked at this drastic measure. It underlined the seriousness and deadliness of the pandemic. We imagined the shutdown opening after a brief time. My friends and I exchanged humor and cartoons to help us cope with the shock and avoid panic. (The joking has slowed, almost to a standstill.) One cartoon was prescient of a coming attitude and agenda shift. It was a cartoon of a smiling Jim Carrey saying, “Hope they allow us off lockdown by July 4 th …so we can celebrate our freedom.” ·        His humor carries a stinging truth. Disillusionment has set in on a national scale. The lockdown was eased, but COVID-19 cases rose...