Too many Americans don’t get it. Some because they don’t want to get it. Intentionally misled by radical left-wing politics and leftist mainstream media, they’re being taught conservatives are close-minded, reflexively xenophobic, and even, intractably racist. This was highlighted recently when Matt Damon’s positive comments about oil industry workers hit the media, regarding his new movie, Stillwater.
The Federalist’s Evita Duffy wrote, “‘These are wonderful people.’ Matt Damon said of the right-leaning “roughnecks” who work in the Oklahoma oil industry.” Is it an insult to the charming anti-fossil fuel, climate activist was surprised? Of course. However, as smart as he thinks he is, he’d apparently gotten these people wrong. Still, he was intellectually honest enough to admit his prejudice.
A conservative-republican-libertarian (c-r-l), not necessarily in that order, best describes my
political affinity and, yes, all in lowercase. So, yes, I am conservative in many ways. But I’m not
close-minded, xenophobic, or racist, as leftists would have you believe.
One of the last remaining conservative strongholds in American culture is law enforcement. That’s why the radical left attacks cops so viciously. Having spent a career doing police work, I’ve had a lot of time to gauge my fellow officers’ political leanings. Most street cops, detectives, and sergeants I’ve known (know) are mainstream conservatives, many are Republicans, with a libertarian bent.
One phenomenon I observed in the blue city I served is, move up, move left. Officers move further to the political left, as they climb the promotional ladder. Although there are some fine exceptions. Still, it seems the higher your rank, the more willing you are to compromise your political convictions or, at least, make your superiors think you have. This is more common with appointed police chief-run departments than with agencies run by elected sheriffs.
So, if you are a lefty reading this, how would you characterize this next experience when coming from a conservative cop? The single most “American” event I’ve ever been to as a cop, maybe as an American, was an officer’s wedding. He and I had been partners for several months when I was first on the department.
He is of Chinese descent, and his wife has Scottish ancestry. To begin the festivities, a Scottish bagpiper, kilt and all, piped the bride and groom into the ceremony. At the reception, caterers served a mouth-watering multi-course Chinese meal.
The guests included, aside from ethnic Chinese and Scots, Americans from across the racial and ethnic spectrum. This “melting-pot” wedding reinforced in me just how special America is and should always be. My partner and his wife don’t share biological ancestry; they share the American idea their ancestors believed in when they came to this country.
That wonderful event, and so many others I’ve shared with conservatives, libertarians, and Republicans, officers and civilians, including a gay officer’s wedding, reminds me of the truth and promise of the United States as an even more perfect union. So, conservatives must stop allowing the Left to define them, to lie about them, and to make their fellow Americans fear them, by being silent or remaining perpetually defensive.
Too many conservatives allow leftists to disrespect them not because most people on the right rarely initiate a political conversation, which is fine, but because they won’t even defend themselves when politically attacked. It’s no wonder leftists are political bullies when conservatives won’t even admit they are conservatives.
And when leftists start spouting their political drivel, conservatives are more likely to ignore it or just nod in bovine agreement, perhaps, in an attempt to shut them up. Most right-of-center people think it’s just not worth the hassle, and sometimes it’s not.
But, like I taught my kids, don’t start political arguments, but if someone else starts one, stand up for your beliefs. Not rudely but with polite conviction. Don’t leave a corrupt point dangling out there unchallenged. Don’t use “talking points” just say what you believe.
Leftists hate being challenged because this neo-left doesn’t believe in your right to free speech. Just challenging them, regardless of the content of your argument, is valuable. Just look at all the city council and school board stories of leftist members shutting down meetings, if they get any resistance to their agenda. It also helps to put your contentions in the form of challenging questions. Coax leftists into explaining their positions and ask them to define leftist terms.
For example, a Black Lives Matter founder declared she’s a “trained Marxist,” and the organization collectively mourned the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. So, if the person you’re talking to is a BLM supporter, ask if that means he or she supports Marxism. If they say, “no,” ask how that can be? Don’t be snarky. Just pose it as a legitimate question because it is.
Of course, there is a hitch with this strategy. Many on the left are so sure they’re right, about everything, and worse, you’re wrong—about everything. You can’t argue intelligently with people who’ve given up on debate, free speech, and have instead adopted tyranny. Today, conservatives are dealing with radical leftists who are no longer political opponents but are cultural enemies engaged in a revolution to erase everything you love about America.
What you think or believe means nothing to them. It’s no longer that they believe they are right, and you are wrong. Now, it’s they are right, and you are evil. How can you discuss anything with someone who’s convinced themselves you’re evil simply because you think differently politically? The concept of a loyal opposition has disappeared for the left. Their behavior, including censorship, character assassination, and cancel culture, has erased their being a loyal opposition, too.
And you can see by the brutish behavior of the leftist social media gatekeepers. If they don’t like what you have to say, they will censor you for putting out “misinformation.” Even if you’re a professor of epidemiology at Yale, Harvard, Oxford, or Stanford, and you’re citing peer-reviewed studies and empirical outcomes with actual CCP virus patients.
And even if the information is something in which the Left originally believed, and may believe again, depending on how St. Anthony Fauci is feeling that particular day. Government, or government’s corporate lackeys, holding the power to decide what qualifies as “misinformation” is an awesome and terrible state for American liberty, as it hollows out the core of the First Amendment.
The Democrat Speaker of the House recently chose a “select” committee (and select witnesses) to investigate the Armageddon that occurred on 1/6 despite federal investigations already ongoing. So, if there are concurrent investigations, adding one should mean you intend to provide something lacking in the current investigations, right? Either by providing more authority to do a more thorough investigation, by providing more balance, or more objectivity. Instead, the Democrats have only provided more political theater.
They are not increasing the efficacies of the current investigations. It seems the Speaker wants to pick both teams, serve as captain for both, and serve as referee, too. After putting partisan Democrat hacks such as Adam Schiff on one team, she refused to seat those members Republicans selected, accusing them of being partisan Republican hacks.
So, cynical as usual, the Speaker selected the two RINOs most despised by the vast majority of the Republican Party faithful, and then she stamps “bipartisan” on a left-biased commission. Well, at least, she’s finally being transparent, a transparent fraud.
She’s obviously afraid of popular “de-selected” Republicans such as Reps Jim Jordan and Jim Banks who would have asked substantive questions about 1/6. Can’t have that. Questions like why Pelosi intentionally left the Capitol so ill-prepared for a planned massive demonstration and why she seemed to have ignored intelligence warning her of impending problems? And why the government is withholding so much evidence. Then again, who benefitted from an overwhelmed Capitol Police Department? The Democrats. They’ve been feasting on the 5-hour “insurrection to end all insurrections” ever since.
Conservatives need to stand up for liberty and our freedoms. Remember, if c-r-ls get what they want, both the left and right live as they chose, so long as they allow others to do the same. If leftists get what they want, both the left and right do not get to choose how they live. I know which one I prefer.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.
We should define US NOT the damn Left
We don’t have a President of the United States of America at all. So sick of the evil, demented, wanna be dictators pulling the strings behind what we the people are allowed to see. And, we can’t forget about all of the fat, lazy couch potato, so called Americans, who don’t know anything but what channel their favorite crap is on. Why? Because it’s too hard to use their supposed God given brain for anything besides what they are going to put in their fat pie hole mouths next. So shameful. So complacent and by extension, complicit in the evil all around.