A number of speakers at Turning Point USA’s America Fest 2021 have challenged the young men and women in attendance to be comfortable being uncomfortable. To be willing to sacrifice for the greater good. To speak out. To stand up. To be bold.
This is a message especially needed for these young men and women. But it is especially needed due to the lack of examples provided by the previous generation.
That sounds harsh. It sounds mean. But it’s true.
Think back over the last 40 years or so. What Republican figure can you think of who really stood up, spoke out and was bold? In Iowa, you would answer Congressman Steve King. And you’d be right. But look how the Republicans did him.
Nationally you could point to President Ronald Reagan. But from Reagan to Donald J. Trump — who?
Reagan and Trump defended their positions against the media unlike any other Republicans of their time. Reagan was softer than Trump — who isn’t, right — but both were highly effective at messaging.
Now, the message may not always be right, but they certainly took the shots from the Left most Republicans aren’t willing to take.
For all of Trump’s strengths and weaknesses, it is possible none will have a lasting impact like his willingness and ability to take on the media (and win). Few Republican politicians had the stomach to take on the media. They might recognize the need for it and they might recognize the unbalanced reporting, but they were never willing to throw a first punch — let alone a knockout punch.
Another common theme from the conference has been the fact that when one person stands strong, other spines stiffen. When conservatives see a fellow conservative willing to stand up and speak out, it emboldens them to stand a little higher and speak a little louder.
No, providing an example of courageous conservatism isn’t going to lead to an overnight revival of conservatism. But it will lead to someone taking that next step. Maybe the next step is engaging in a Facebook debate. Maybe it is saying something at Christmas when the crazy liberal uncle goes on a diatribe. Maybe it is willing to be the one student in class to take the conservative position.
Who knows? But how can anyone learn to be a more courageous conservative when they don’t see many — if any — examples of courageous conservatives?
It’s easy — they won’t.
And that is precisely why the Left comes at the most outspoken conservatives as hard as they do. That’s why they target Marjorie Taylor Greene. That’s why they wanted to take out Chick-fil-A. That’s why they need to ruin Donald J. Trump.
Because the best way to intimidate others from speaking out tomorrow is shutting up the few who are willing to take the arrows today. So while they would take great pleasure in causing pain for Trump, Greene and other America First conservatives, their purpose is to keep you silent. It’s to keep the “silent majority” silent.
That’s the only way the insane minority can become the insane majority. When the Left eliminates conservativism from public chatter, it eliminates conservatism from the debate.
Democrats have almost every tool at their disposal — media, education, Big Tech, pop culture — and they still struggle to win. Donald Trump Jr. is right — they struggle to win with trillion dollar industries lined up behind them, serving as their marketing department. The reason why is their ideas are that bad.
There are two institutions Democrats do not yet control. One, is the family. And everyone can see the efforts from the Left to destroy the traditional family. The other is the church. And just about everyone can see the Left trying to infiltrate that institution as well.
But there is one “institution” the Left will never own. The Left will never own the truth. It can’t. So many of the Left’s ideas are not rooted in truth but rooted in relativism. Others are simply rooted in evil.
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a softer way to say that. Doesn’t make it any less true.
The Left can’t convert the truth. The truth isn’t up for debate. All the Left can do is neutralize the truth by neutering anyone who might be willing to tell it. They can only accomplish this through bullying and instilling fear in those who are truth defenders.
When nobody steps up to defend the truth, fewer people will believe in the truth. Hence how we get to America in 2021. Nearly an entire generation lost its will to contend for the truth. They chose comfort, convenience, careers, popularity and, well, pretty much everything else over the truth.
America does need this next generation to be bold, speak out and defend the truth. But it still needs the present generation to do it as well. And so does the younger generation.
Children live what they learn. It isn’t too late. The truth is still the truth. It remains unchanged. Despite our unwillingness to tell it and to defend it. But that can change if we want it to.
The question is — are we willing to lose anything in an effort to save something? One of the first rules in leadership is never to ask those “under” you to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. So, current generation, take the reins and lead. Stand on truth. Speak out — while there is still time.
Don’t look at the younger generation to do what you yourself refuse to do. Stand up. Speak out. Be the example. Set the standard.
While you still can.
