Voices of Liberty

Jake Bequette: Football, Service, and the Hard Road of Liberty

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Jake Bequette has lived several lives, and each one reflects the same pattern, choosing the hard road when easier paths were available. From playing football at the highest level, to serving as an Army Ranger, to stepping into the political arena in Arkansas, Jake has consistently pursued challenge, discipline, and purpose.
In this conversation, Sean Themea talks with Jake about the roots that shaped him, including a strong family foundation, a love of history, and an early fascination with the ideas that built America. They also discuss what Jake learned inside the New England Patriots organization, what service in uniform taught him about leadership, and why he chose to challenge the political establishment in Arkansas.
Jake explains why liberty still matters, why strong voices are needed in public life, and why America’s founding principles remain worth defending in every generation.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.
 

From Activist to State Representative: Dylan Jordan’s Fight for Liberty in South Dakota

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
In this episode, Sean sits down with South Dakota State Representative Dylan Jordan, a young lawmaker who went from grassroots activism to elected office after deciding that if government was going to keep expanding, someone needed to step in and fight back directly.
Representative Jordan shares how the ideas of liberty first took hold during the Tea Party era, why the response to the coronavirus period pushed him into local activism, and how direct pressure on elected officials eventually led him to run for office himself.
The conversation explores his fight against taxpayer funded lobbying, his push to protect property rights from eminent domain abuse, his support for campus carry, and why too many politicians become cautious the moment they enter office. Jordan also explains what he learned while campaigning across one of South Dakota’s largest districts, why grassroots action still changes outcomes, and why liberty candidates must be willing to stay firm even when it makes them outsiders.
This is a conversation about conviction, courage, and refusing to lose your principles once you have power.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube.
 

Lou Perez on Comedy, Free Speech, and Why Humor Still Matters for Liberty

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Today’s guest is Lou Perez, comedian, writer, and cultural commentator, whose work has shown that humor can do far more than entertain. It can challenge bad ideas, expose political absurdity, and defend the principles of a free society in ways that straight argument often cannot.
Known for his appearances on Gutfeld!, his writing, and his sharp commentary on culture and politics, Lou joins Sean to talk about how comedy became one of his most effective tools for advancing liberty. He shares how his path into comedy came long before politics, why free speech remains essential to a healthy culture, and why creative people should never surrender the cultural battlefield to those who fear open debate.
This conversation explores the First Amendment, the role of humor in breaking down ideological walls, and why liberty still needs voices willing to say what others are afraid to say, with courage, intelligence, and wit.
It is a conversation about comedy, culture, courage, and using humor to defend the freedoms that make everything else possible.
 

Jay Lapeyre: Liberty, Leadership, and Civil Discourse

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty, powered by Young Americans for Liberty, with host Sean Themea.
Jay Lapeyre has spent decades building in business while also helping shape some of the most important liberty institutions in the country. As a business leader in New Orleans and board chair of both the Cato Institute and the Atlas Society, he has long believed that freedom depends not only on sound policy, but also on serious thinking and civil conversation.
In this conversation, Sean and Jay discuss the books and ideas that first changed Jay’s worldview, how liberty shaped the way he leads in business and life, and why his work with the Free Society Coalition is focused on helping Americans find common ground without surrendering principle.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.
 

Why Free Market Capitalism Still Matters, Vance Ginn on Liberty, Prosperity, and Economic Truth

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Vance Ginn joins Sean Themea to talk about how hardship, economics, and conviction shaped his belief in liberty. From South Houston to the White House, Vance has built his life around one mission, helping people prosper through free markets and personal responsibility.
They discuss why capitalism still matters, why economic freedom creates opportunity, and why America cannot afford to lose confidence in the ideas that made it strong.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or YouTube, and learn more at YALiberty.org.

Senator Rand Paul on Liberty, Debt, and Why Principle Must Matter More Than Party

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
In this conversation, Rand Paul reflects on the ideas that first shaped his belief in liberty, growing up in a household where free markets, limited government, and constitutional thinking were part of everyday life. From the influence of Former Congressman Ron Paul to the writings of Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek, he explains why individual freedom remains at the center of his public life.
The conversation explores why Senator Paul believes America’s greatest long term threat comes from debt, unchecked federal spending, and a growing loss of confidence in free market economics. He also explains why he continues to stand apart from both parties when constitutional limits, war powers, and balanced budgets are at stake, even when that independence comes with political cost.
It is a conversation about courage, consistency, free markets, and why liberty requires leaders willing to stand firm when party pressure pushes the other direction.
 

Lyn Ulbricht on Freeing Ross, Fighting Cruel Sentencing, and Why Mercy Still Matters in America

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Today’s guest is Lyn Ulbricht, the mother of Ross Ulbricht and one of the most determined advocates for mercy, justice, and human dignity in the liberty movement. What began as a mother’s fight to save her son from dying in federal prison became a much larger mission to expose cruel sentencing, defend the Bill of Rights, and remind Americans that government power must always have limits.
Lyn shares the devastating story of Ross’s arrest, trial, and double life sentence plus forty years, the deep disillusionment she felt watching the justice system fail her son, and the nearly twelve year grassroots campaign that ultimately led to his freedom. She explains what it was like to keep going through crushing setbacks, how a movement formed around Ross, and why President Trump’s pardon was nothing short of life changing.
But this conversation goes far beyond one family’s story. Lyn makes the case that America’s prison and sentencing system has grown far too cruel, especially for nonviolent offenders. She speaks about the human cost of excessive punishment, the families destroyed by decades long sentences, the children left behind, and why life without parole and extreme federal sentencing should alarm anyone who cares about liberty.
This is a conversation about justice, mercy, perseverance, and the kind of courage it takes to keep fighting when the system tells you there is no hope.
If you care about the Bill of Rights, free speech, criminal justice reform, and protecting people from unchecked government cruelty, you will not want to miss this conversation with Lyn Ulbricht.
 

Mayor Glenn Jacobs on Liberty, Leadership, and Standing Firm When Government Overreached

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty, hosted by Sean Themea and powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Today’s guest is Glenn Jacobs, mayor of Knox County, known to millions around the world for his legendary career in professional wrestling as Kane. Behind the public persona is a leader whose convictions were shaped through years of studying liberty, economics, and the role of government.
In this conversation, Glenn shares how he went from feeling politically homeless to discovering libertarian thought, why Ron Paul had such a profound influence on his thinking, and how reading Austrian economic thinkers helped him understand the deeper connection between freedom, human action, and responsibility.
Sean and Glenn also discuss what it looked like to govern during one of the most politically charged periods in recent American history, when many elected officials accepted sweeping government control during the pandemic. Glenn explains why he chose a different path, how liberty shaped his leadership decisions, and why local government still matters when defending freedom in everyday life.
The conversation also touches on Austrian economics, political courage, the long term impact of the liberty movement, and why principle matters most when pressure is highest.
If you care about limited government, strong leadership, and the future of freedom in America, this is a conversation worth hearing. 🎙️🇺🇸🔥
 

Ty Hicks on Leadership, Mental Freedom, and Unlocking Human Potential for Liberty

Welcome back to Voices of Liberty with host Sean Themea, powered by Young Americans for Liberty.
Today’s guest is Ty Hicks, founder and chief executive officer of mentalhealthcoaching.com and former executive vice president of Young Americans for Liberty. For years, Ty has helped people break through the invisible barriers that keep them stuck, whether in leadership, activism, or life itself.
In this conversation, Ty shares how his early search for meaning, purpose, and service led him to the ideas of liberty, why he ultimately embraced a radical belief in voluntary human cooperation, and how his time helping lead Young Americans for Liberty shaped his understanding of persuasion, leadership, and personal growth.
Sean and Ty also dive into a deeper question that does not get asked enough in politics or in life. What if the greatest barriers to freedom are not only external, but internal? What if the stakes holding people back are often the beliefs they have accepted about themselves?
Ty explains how leadership starts with compassion and standards, why persuasion is really about helping people see a better path for themselves, and how mental and emotional freedom unlocks the energy people need to make a real difference in the world. He also shares powerful stories from his work helping people overcome anxiety, depression, addiction, and self limiting beliefs, and why he believes the liberty movement needs more people who are willing to step up, choose their arena, and fight to raise the standard.
This is a conversation about freedom at every level, political, personal, and psychological. If you care about leadership, liberty, self mastery, and building a freer future, you will not want to miss it.
 

From Poverty to Prosperity: Magatte Wade on Why Freedom Is Africa’s Only Way Forward

What if your first lesson in economics wasn’t a textbook — but a shower?
In this powerful episode of Voices of Liberty, host Sean Themea sits down with entrepreneur and global freedom advocate Magatte Wade to explore how her childhood journey from Senegal to Germany sparked a lifelong mission to understand why some nations are rich while others remain poor.
Magatte doesn’t speak in theory — she speaks from lived experience. From waiting an hour for heated water in Senegal to discovering instant hot showers in Europe, her question became an obsession: Why do some countries flourish while others struggle?
The answer she discovered changed her life — and could change the world.
In this deeply moving and intellectually sharp conversation, Magatte explains:
Why Africa’s poverty is rooted in overregulation — not colonialism or culture
How economic freedom restores human dignity
Why aid often undermines the very people it claims to help
How she went from self-described communist to classical liberal
The dangerous ideological shift happening on American college campuses
Why entrepreneurship — not government — is the true engine of prosperity
How startup cities and economic freedom zones could transform nations
Magatte shares heartbreaking stories of migration, slavery, and systemic barriers — but also stories of awakening, empowerment, and hope.
This is not a debate about left vs. right.It’s a conversation about freedom vs. control — and what that means for billions of people.
If you care about human dignity, entrepreneurship, global prosperity, or the future of America and Africa, this is an episode you cannot miss.
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