To be a sovereign nation is to be able to provide for one's own house. For too long, we have allowed our energy future and our national defense to be tethered to the whims of adversaries across the sea. The news that federal courts have cleared the way for lithium and antimony mines in Nevada and Idaho is a victory for common sense and national security. While environmental groups argue that these projects disturb the pristine silence of the wilderness, we must remember that the land is not a museum to be looked at, but a garden to be stewarded for the survival of the community. China’s recent decision to curb exports of antimony—a mineral essential for our ammunition and solar panels—is a clear warning of our vulnerability. We cannot be a free people if we are a dependent people. The Stibnite Gold Project in Idaho and the Rhyolite Ridge in Nevada are not just industrial sites; they are sovereign fortifications. They represent a commitment to the mineral independence required to protect our way of life. By securing our own supply of these critical elements, we remove the leverage that foreign powers hold over our economy and our safety. This is an earthy, rooted conviction: our freedom is inextricably linked to our relationship with the soil beneath our feet. We must mine with the awareness that we are protecting the hearths of the American family and ensuring that our children inherit a nation that can defend itself.