If you are like me you are troubled with much of what you see happening in America these days. From Obamacare to the NSA spying on us, to the various attempts at gun control, there is a concerted effort going on to “fundamentally transform” our nation and our culture. Our President, along with folks like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, has a clear agenda, and is pursuing it with great vigor. From Common Core to the redistribution of wealth and the assumption of more and more power by the executive branch of the federal government, they seem to be pushing ahead in a direction that to me is unsettling.
Perhaps most unsettling to me is the apparent disregard for the fact that we are now well over $17 trillion dollars in debt and we keep borrowing and spending. The only solution we hear from the left is that we need more taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
One would think that these strong pushes by Democrats and the left would be countered by Republicans and the right. We have seen some pushback from the right, mainly from people like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and Rand Paul. But we have also seen a split in the Republican ranks, with Speaker Boehner and Governor Christie and John McCain and Peter King calling the Tea Party and Libertarians scary and perhaps a little crazy.
We are told that everything is being orchestrated by the Koch Brothers or George Soros, with the rest of us little more than puppets versus the big money folks and their well funded organizations. We are told that we need bipartisanship and compromise and that we need to go along and get along and not stir the pot. It would seem that there is not much the ordinary fed up citizen can do but wait for his chance to cast his or her one little vote every few years, only to be overwhelmed by a sea of low information voters with their hands out.
In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.
When bikers all across America decided to drive to DC to counter the so-called Million Muslim March, it was not a meaningless gesture. When the truckers drove to Washington en masse, it was not a meaningless gesture. And when the veterans got together, grabbed the barricades from the Memorials and deposited them in front of the White House, it was far from meaningless. These peaceful demonstrations of solidarity not only sent a clear message to lawmakers, they let the rest of us know that we were not alone and that people still cared enough about this country to make their feelings known.
I was enormously inspired by the actions of the Egyptian people last year as they rose up against their Muslim Brotherhood-led government and gathered in the streets, 20 million strong, to demand a change in their government. With the help of their military, they were able to oust a government that, though technically elected democratically, did not represent the views of the people and was systematically taking away their rights. For the most part, they accomplished this without resorting to outright civil war. There was some bloodshed, to be sure, but mostly due to the resistance on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood to give up their power.
Egypt was not alone. There were demonstrations around the globe in places like Turkey and Brazil to protest oppressive government. Back here in the US, the left regularly takes to the streets, whether it is Al Sharpton attacking perceived racism or fast food workers demanding higher pay, or Occupy Wall Street complaining about the top 1% of earners making too much money. The Tea Party also gets together regularly to show their support for fiscal sanity and conservative issues.
2014 is an election year, the mid-terms, and we will each get a chance to cast our one vote in November. Before then there will be primaries and campaign ads and scandals. Elections are important, as they have consequences. Each of our votes is important, but we have only one vote and sometimes it seems as though that is not much of a voice in the process.
It is tempting to just sit back on the couch and complain that the country is going to hell in a hand basket. Perhaps you will watch the Sunday shows and complain to a few coworkers. You may even write your congressman or post your feelings on social media. Maybe you have gone to a few meetings of your local political party, and you may put out a yard sign for your favorite candidate. All of these are good things, and if you have done any one of them you are way ahead of the uniformed low information voter that focuses in on Grand Theft Auto.
If, however, you are like me and fed up with the direction of our country and would like to see a return to basic constitutional principles and freedom, I have a suggestion. Why not join us in San Antonio in March? We are having an event called the Patriots Rally for Freedom in San Antonio March 14-16. Here is a link to the website.
http://www.patriotsrally4freedom.com
There will be a number of speakers and sharing of ideas and the opportunity to connect to like minded people. I have been to San Antonio many times and I can tell you it is a great place to visit, especially in springtime. There are a number of great things to see and do in San Antonio, such as the Riverwalk, which is right next to the site for the Rally. But of course if you visit San Antonio you have to visit the Alamo, where a brave group of men gave their lives to give Sam Houston’s army time to gather and defend Texas.
San Antonio is great but even better will be getting off the couch and making a positive statement in support of freedom and constitutional principles. You will be inspired and educated and together we will take one step closer to getting our country back on the right path.
Even if you cannot make it to the rally, consider donating to help fund the event. Unfortunately George Soros and the Koch Brothers have not yet sent their big checks, so it is up to regular folks like you and I to make this happen. Which is how it should be, right?
You and I cannot override a presidential veto. We don’t get to have meetings with Speaker Boehner, or to vote on Obamacare or raising the debt ceiling. Here is an opportunity for you to do something more than yell at the pundits on your television. Here is an opportunity to take an active role in changing the discourse in this country. Here is an opportunity to be part of making a statement that freedom is important and the American people are not sheep. Go to the website and donate a few dollars and sign up to attend. Then make your travel plans.
See you in San Antonio.
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