In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Spirko and his team at The Survival
Podcast spent some time strategizing what people could do to help their fellow
citizens in times of disaster. They threw around several ideas, like putting
together disaster-response teams or even reviving a voluntary militia; but for
Spirko, one phrase stuck out more than anything else:
“Every citizen
is a soldier.”
He realized that not everyone is cut out to be a warrior, but all who embrace
personal philosophies of freedom and liberty are surely warriors at heart. Only
some will be labeled a soldier, but anyone can deem him or herself a
Sentinel—one who stands watch over their fellow citizens.
The Sentinel medallion illustrates three of the most iconic moments
of resistance and defense of liberty in human history. The overlapping symbols
on the reverse of the coin—the sword, the musket and the rifle—visually bridge
the historical gaps between valiant efforts made to defend a nation’s
freedom.
Breaking Down the Symbols
The Spartan sword represents the 300 Spartan solders who
gave their lives to protect the Greek Republic from the invading Persian
kingdom.
The musket acts as a symbol of our defiance and
declaration of independence from the British Empire during the American
Revolution.
The AR-15- certainly the most intellectually
provocative symbol of the three- represents the modern militia. It encourages us
to open our eyes to the growing, tyrannical nature within our back alleys and
our boardrooms and realize that we, too may be called upon to take up arms; just
as the Spartans and Revolutionaries before us. 300 Spartans stood to protect the
Greek Empire--imagine what 55 million American gun owners could do.
This coin is a celebration of Sentinels—the sword and the musket represent
the brave men and women in history who fought for freedom and for the protection
of others, while the rifle acts as a reminder that no society is exempt from
looming oppression. Not even ours.