As I've stated many times in the past, I'm not a journalist, I've never played one on TV, and I did not study it in college. :-). I've never held public office. I'm a Husband, a Father, a Grandfather, a Veteran, and a person who has grown into a deep and abiding love of America as it was founded, through my own pursuit of history over the past 20 plus years. I came into that study late in life. As is the case with many others, I simply took for granted all of the liberty and freedom to be and to become what I might that I'd been blessed with from birth. I have no public presence and I have no editor to review what I write in order to give those writings that "professional edge." In light of that, you should take what follows as representative of those qualifications.
To my online friends and followers: (And I've always limited that to a small number, unlike others who may have hundreds....thousands.....or more…)…thank you for your friendship.
Like many others I know, it's been a depressing 3 plus years watching this administration unfold, and further, watching Biden as he rolls back the freedoms, energy independence, economic growth, pride in the rule of law and in our country…. and the successful recovery of America to its rightful place of world leadership as a beacon of freedom over the past 4 years.
The purpose of this article however is not to list all of the accomplishments of the Trump Administration.
I've seen many friends and respected people that I follow leave Facebook and Twitter for other platforms, and I've watched as the global Left Wing tech giants have chased them to not only silence them, but to shut them….and any dissention or opinion that differs from their own…down. I get it. The "Cancel Culture" reigns supreme, but this is not an America based on its founding principles. Freedom of Speech has been the primary anchor and guiding light of this nation since it's birth, and has been the example looked to and followed by every other freedom loving nation in the world since then. Today, many people who claim to support freedom of expression regularly turn around to suppress the views of others. Left Wing Social Media platforms have had it out for all Conservatives and their views for quite some time. Madison believed that the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment were the source “for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity, over error and oppression.” More college students than ever claim to have reservations about free expression. Forty-four percent of surveyed students told the Brookings Institution that they do not believe that the First Amendment protects free speech, compared with the 39 percent who believe that it does. A full 20 percent of respondents maintained it acceptable to inflict physical harm on those deemed to have made “offensive and hurtful statements.” The "Cancel Culture" is real. It's beyond obvious to anyone who might take an honest moment to follow what has been happening.
That said…..a great deal beyond my simple statements here has transpired over the past few years. The decline of our nation in the short time since Biden took office has been nothing short of stunning. The list is long, but in reality, any thinking person who endeavors to be truly informed doesn't need to see that list re-hashed here yet again. I have my own personal look forward to where we might hopefully find relief in November of 2024. Americans have constantly deluded by the media with slanted and left-biased "information". People are frustrated and angry over the misinformation on the pandemic and the state of the economy, and as many frequently have in the past in their desperation for any kind of change, put their faith and votes into a candidate and government platform that promised relief from all of those things. In the end, they voted against a depressing collection of the events (not the least by far being the pandemic) that have washed over us all in the past year(s), misinformed and misrepresented by a media and Democrat party that from day one hated the man who tried to bring a positive change about to the way this nation has been governed for the past 5 decades. A system he rightfully designated as "the swamp". A country he loves. A tough New York real estate developer who didn't care to mince words. A man of "mean" Tweets on "X" formerly known as Twitter. A man who walked away from a life of luxury to serve without a salary, and who certainly didn't need the job. A man and his family who in spite of all that, stood up to ridicule, hate, and abuse from all quarters on a daily basis for 4 years, all of his accomplishments ignored by the media and the Left. Yet a man who stood tall regardless of the storm of hate that it brought his way. Many people voted for change, but in a case of "be careful of what you wish for", I suspect that those same people have found that the change they got did little to live up to their expectations. On the contrary, many have come to realize what their vote earned them was more a case of not knowing what you had until it's gone.
I've decided to remain on Facebook and X, unless or until they find it suitable and proper to ban/remove me. "X" in particular shows more promise of moving to free speech than Social Media has in years with its acquisition by Elon Musk. More than ever, Conservatives need to stand and fight. Fight against the Left to be sure, but also fight against both the Democrat and Republican career politicians in Washington who have only their own financial, power, and career interests at heart. In the end, today is the worst time to give up the fight to try to bring our nation back to sanity. Not simply for the sake of this generation. Like the self serving politicians who currently rule in Washington, I am old enough today that I will be long gone before the price of what these Washington elites have done comes due and payable to my children and grandchildren. It is my moral obligation to speak to the future of those we leave behind. They deserve to own, enjoy, and thrive in the freedom they were given by our founders and endowed with by their Creator as their birthright.
So now…..for the good news! To those who only look ahead to the continual onslaught of Socialist re-making of America I offer this: I really do believe that America is not a Socialist nation. I also believe that the pendulum is shifting. Americans are feeling the pain of revisiting in spades the decline of the Obama years and the bleak future that was promised to them during those years. The House of Representatives majority was gained, albeit by a very slim margin, by the Republicans in this past election and the Senate could very well be in play in the coming one. I believe both can be won in the election of 2024 as long as Americans continue to be reminded of the liberty, hope and prosperity they see slipping away, and exactly who has taken it from them. As long as the Republicans stay on message. An America where the value of your used car won't be gauged by how much gas is in the tank. Further, it would serve people well to remember that the great majority of seats to possibly flip to the Republicans in this coming election are Democrat seats. The odds seem to be, on the face of things, stacked against them. The numbers throughout history serve to remind us that it will not always be that way. If the House continues to be controlled by the Republicans, it will serve to put a brake on Biden policies, but that will be to a great degree dependent on the type of steel in the spine of replacements that are elected to the House. And make no mistake, they need to be not necessarily Republican candidates, but Conservative, principled people. Candidates such as Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH among others who bring fresh hope and invigoration to a Republican Party that has largely lost its way and which needs that breath of fresh air. The Left, of course, is already acutely aware of this. The New York Times has already begun the attack on Governor Noem. These attacks will intensify on her, and on any other Conservative that looks to be a promising candidate. It's how they roll.
Given the events of the past few years, it will no doubt be easy for some to despair that things might be hopeless, at least for many years to come. It could be realistically argued however that for the first time in recent memory, hope for the election is actually on the horizon. And that hope is that Americans will sooner rather than later put this nation back on the path to liberty. Why hope? Is it possible for Republicans to re-take both Houses in 2024? Anything is possible, but few things are ever certain. One thing however IS certain: given the Democrat / Biden policy initiatives and the damage done to America so far during this administration they will indeed be very worried about just that possibility in November. The truth is, Democrats, with their foot firmly on the gas pedal, have only a short window to advance their complete agenda before the already souring public mood on Biden’s policies sours even further and leads to blowback in 2024. Conservatives need to take this fight to 2024….and beyond. Americans may in the end need to be constantly reminded of Ronald Reagan's quote that "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream."
Someone has to be there to pass it on, and that someone has to be us.