Jeff - you have hit the nail on its head, but let me propose direction - toward the battlefield. Because I say, we (conseratives) have to a great extent, marginalized ourselves!
The tenor of the posts here urge action – but leans in the wrong direction, leaves out real options, and gives the wrong impression – that it is ‘too late.’
It is never ‘too late’ to begin acting on behalf of freedom, and many on this website know what I’m talking about, because they are part of the political process, where they live – they go to political meetings, they participate, and they make a difference - a huge difference. But, they are far too few; they look over their shoulders and wonder… where in the hell are all those others that expressed their desire to ‘wage war.’
Everyone on this website can be a participant in doing their civic duty. That means getting in your car and driving to the battle – of words, ideas - and personalities pushing for power in your-town. That battlefield is close to all of us, but it is studiously ignored.
Showing up when it counts, monthly, weekly, daily – where public business is being conducted in the political arena – is what has not been done. It is where conservatives have badly failed – because they want someone else to do battle (not the bloody kind) for them. So, they sit at home and complain, and wonder what they should do.
Tea parties are fun – but totally ineffective politically. If the same number of conservatives showed up at the monthly County Republican Party meeting where they live, and asked themselves, ‘What can I do to contribute to the battle for conservatism?’ – there would be a political earthquake of major proportions… and that has not been done, or even talked seriously about, anywhere that I know of, including on this website. Why? Because it’s too dull, it doesn’t make for nice pictures. That’s what our grandparents did – the old fogies of the past. (Yeah, those old-timers that kept things on a more even keel in this nation for generations in the past.)
There’s a lot of talk here about boxes – ballot, cartridge, etc. I think it is time for FReepers to start talking about a different ballot box – not the one that comes up three or four times per year where the general public is asked to vote – but those places where votes are taken every month, a few minutes from their doorstep. There’s really no ‘box’ at these places. Generally it is a show of hands, or a voice vote – and yes, sometimes there is a box, perhaps at the County level.
These votes, quite bluntly, are more important than those tossed into the ‘ballot box’ by the public. They determine what a political party is, and does. They determine who rises to leadership in your community – your state, and ultimately, the nation.
In short, if you haven’t been there and you haven’t voted – you haven’t been a ‘watchman on the wall’ – you have not fought yet in the most important battle that there is to maintain the freedoms our forefathers passed on to us.
Whether the third, fourth, fifth and sixth party acolytes on this website like it or not, this is a two-party nation, and you clean up one and fight the other, or you lose.
There are over 100 thousand staunch God fearing conservatives in the Republican Party, and there are a lot of two-faced skunks too – that need conservative opposition.
So go… and oppose them, where you live. Show up in great numbers (such is happening now, but far more need to come.) And, there is a bottom line you need to keep up-front in your mind, as you do battle.
This nation will not prosper, if you poke a sharp stick God’s eye. He gave the model for human government to Moses – our Founders spoke often of that model, and used it in forming our government, and wrote extensively about it. Here is just one quote (rather famous now) of many, from one of those Founders – Samuel Langdon:
Fix your eyes upon men of good understanding, and known honesty; men of knowledge, improved by experience; men who fear God, and hate covetousness; who love truth and righteousness, and sincerely wish the public welfare. Beware of such as are cunning rather than wise; who prefer their own interest to every thing; whose judgment is partial, or fickle; and whom you would not willingly trust with your own private interests. When meetings are called for the choice of your rulers, do not carelessly neglect them, or give your votes with indifference, just as any party may persuade, or a sordid treat tempt you; but act with serious deliberation and judgment, as in a most important matter, and let the faithful of the land serve you. Let not men openly irreligious and immoral become your legislators; for how can you expect good laws to be made by men who have no fear of God before their eyes, and who boldly trample on the authority of his commands? And will not the example of their impiety and immorality defeat the efficacy of the best laws which can be made in favour of religion and virtue? If the legislative body are corrupt, you will soon have bad men for counsellors, corrupt judges, unqualified justices, and officers in every department who will dishonor their stations; the consequence of which will be murmurs and complaints from every quarter. [spelling / punctuation as in the original]
Langdon’s warning about ‘bad men’ has come to pass, as we all well know. What caused this can be directly traced to public apathy at the local level – people fixated on just national elections, while completely ignoring the political arena in their own back yard – where they could have the greatest effect, yet cede the battlefield to a minuscule few.
Jeff, that 'tens of thousands of places all over this land' (where we should gather) are indeed places that have been sorely neglected. Those places are in fact the tens of thousands of monthly meetings a few minutes away from all of us.
I live in Los Angeles, a very liberal town, yet with millions of conservative men and women that don't even know about the political meeting taking place five minutes from where they live.
If this website were to make it a priority to inform those conservatives, and get them to take part in these meetings (they would certainly be welcome) then we could shake the political ground like it has not been shaken, not only in this ugly socialist hotbed, but across the nation.
We simply MUST become involved, deeply involved, and for the long term...and teach our children and grand children to do likewise.
At the same time we MUST be prepared...because the enemies of liberty amongst us have made hug gains and per chance, will not go away quietly, even if we prevail at the gathering places you mention and then ratchet it up from there.
Indeed, we should always be thusly prepared because liberty is under constant threat from those are consumed by their lust for power.
EXCELLENT POINTS.
Remember when Nancy Pelosi was talking about the 'culture' of corruption? ... the response from our elected congresscritters?
Miss Nasty knew she had'em.
Remember Cold Cash Jefferson? the "R"s did nothing ... why?
'Cause Jefferson agreed to vote for the BK 'Reform Act'...
That group of corrupt ba&tards feathered their nests, knowing they were going to get the snot kicked out of them in the coming election(s).
Then there is GWB - when he wanted Amnesty - I said "Self" (I was speaking to myself) "why even bother".
I've seen the damage the last Amnesty did to California .... Dubya is an enemy of my shrinking wallet, hell our very liberties, in the long run.
On a more positive note, if Palin undoes her stand and desire for an Amnesty, then I'll return to the fold like a good little sheep.
I was one of those show up early and help set up the chairs - master chef the the fund raising Bar-B-Que's, plus clean up after, in my local district.
But if the nominal head of the party wants Amnesty ....Screw'em
And frankly, if the "R"'s continue with their love affair with free trade, the party is dead.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
Excellent post.
When I go to local council meetings, I, too, wonder where the conservatives are. Yet three or four leftists will show up and scream for “change.” Then next month, the council passes an ordinance banning the cutting of trees on private property, and conservatives can’t figure out how that happened.
Our revolution started in local governments. It didn’t take place in King George III’s court.
Run for your local council seat. ATTEND MEETINGS of your local council. Volunteer for the zoning board and planning commission. This is where many of your rights in property are taken away. The leftists on these committtees will back down. They are cowards. Don’t believe me. Go see for yourself.
Take back your own neighborghood first. This is where the ideas and future leaders will come from. Don’t wait for a leader to show up. Be one yourself.
The head (federal government) cannot operate without the body (local government). Local governments can resist and sabotage every dictate and order passed down from Washington. It’s that simple.