The Cowards Amongst Us

Although I’ve written about this before, the other evening it was brought dramatically home to me again. I was talking to some Republicans leaders who also own businesses. The issue became fear of outing themselves as conservatives and openly becoming engaged in the cause of saving our country from the socialism of the far left. A few years back, when I was trying to sell advertising for The Republic News and Issues Magazine, store after store and business after business, that I knew had conservative owners, would respond the same, “I really believe in what you’re doing and I read the magazine every month, but, I can’t advertise because I would offend my liberal customers and I would lose business and I can’t do that.” This philosophy irritated me then and it irritates me now.

But this is not new to this brand of Rino, neo-con cowards. Thomas Paine referred to them as Sunshine Patriots and Summer Soldiers during the Revolution. George Washington had them in his Continental Army and they caused him nothing but grief and almost lost the War of Independence, which gave us this free land. This country was bought with the blood of patriots who understood that the cause was bigger than themselves, their families or their businesses. Even so there was a segment of colonial society that was ready to surrender it all for the promise of 1000 English pounds, a pardon and the ability to keep their home and business. When Lord Howe, the British Commander, made just such an offer, thousands of these sunshine patriots took him up on it.

Nothing seems to have changed today. The same type people, who talk big at a conservative gathering, fall short when asked to speak up or stand up or lend support in a public manner. They feel they might out themselves as conservatives. These are the same people who allowed Hitler to gain power, Stalin to commit his atrocities, the better red than dead crowd. These are the same people who will stand by and watch as the Governor of this state sells out his principles because he lost a battle a few years back and wanted to get re-elected and be liked. These are people who, as elected representatives, will admit privately that that there are billions of dollars of waste in the state budget but remain silent publicly. They will use the phrase “it was the best deal we could get.” The truth is they were afraid that if they stood their ground they would not get elected again and might lose their gravy train. What in the world has happened to principle? Certainly very little of it remains in the Republican Party.

It occurs to me that when one is too weak to stand on a piece of ground and say this is mine to stand on, regardless of the consequences, then that person stands for nothing. When a business owner is so afraid of his liberal customer base that he allows that base to force him to remain silent except when in the company of other conservatives, then he has no real business. By his own admission he only has a business by the permission of the liberal left. That’s not having a business, that’s cowardice and hypocrisy. Cowardice, because you are void of the fortitude to stand for your beliefs; hypocrisy, because you spout the conservative mantra only when you are safely surrounded by real conservatives.
I could go on and name names, but to what avail? These people won’t change and they know who they are and probably the reader knows who they are. I do wonder though what it must belike to be devoid of personal courage. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to be so lacking in fortitude that I would not stand up for my principles and the needs of my Country. What must it be like to stand down in the face of adversity? Do you lie to your children or grand-children when they ask questions about why your organization or you don’t stand up for the truth or do you teach them that it’s better to say nothing because to get involved might hurt your business? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Well, consider yourself lucky that there are those of us who will stand up as we always have for the undeserving likes of you. There are brave young men and women around the world and on our local streets who are defending your right to be a coward and a hypocrite. Enjoy the freedoms and rights that you and your ilk have done nothing to earn. One day when the likes of our soldiers, police, fire and emergency service personnel are too few in number to do much to keep the gangs, terrorists, socialists, liberals and corrupt politicians from your door, remember you once had the chance to stand bravely and show courage. You chose not to.