Tuesday, September 22, 2015

What is an Independent?

You realize, politically, there really is no such thing as a "moderate" or an "independent." You know that, right?

I realize that's going to ruffle some feathers, but it's true, nonetheless.

Oh sure, there are those who are frustrated with aspects of their chosen political party. Indeed, I couldn't be more frustrated with the Republican Establishment right now, who have gotten a little too comfy in their government careers here lately.

But the concept of a "moderate," or an "independent," only exists within the confines of liberalism or conservatism. While we don't have the time or space here to go into the specifics of what defines each of those ideals, what we can say is that we all fall into one of those two camps. Each of us, deep inside, aligns ourself with one side or the other.

To be sure, there are those among us who agree or disagree with various tenets that cross the line of a particular platform. In fact, it would probably be more accurate to say that very few of us agree 100% with every party line that gets drawn.

But that's not the same thing as being a "moderate" or "independent."

Those ideals are born out of the idea of not wishing to be labeled. An "independent" is nothing more than a Liberal who doesn't want to be labeled a Liberal.

You see, Liberals are really the only ones who don't like the term "liberals." That's why they created alternative terms like "progressives" and "independents."

Every time I've ever had a discussion with someone that involved classifying someone as liberal, almost without fail I've had someone who jumped in offended because they didn't like being "labeled."

But I've yet to hear anyone who identifies as being conservative ever be upset by being "labeled" a Conservative. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone -- outside of professed Liberals -- who's been called a Conservative be offended by it, even if they didn't think they were one.

It's precisely why, every election cycle, one hears stories about how the Conservatives are going to be able to sway the "moderates" and the "independents" to vote for them. One never hears liberals needing to get the "independent" vote. It's presumed in most political circles that Independents are going to vote Democrat by default unless they can somehow be swayed to vote Republican.

That's because they are by default liberal. And more precisely, Liberals who don't like being called Liberals.

Moderates and Independents are not necessarily the same thing, although those who identify with either rarely know the actual difference between the two.

As I've mentioned, an Independent is a Liberal who doesn't "like" being labeled a Liberal. A Moderate, on the other hand, is an Independent who is "afraid" of being called a Conservative. Simple, yeah?

The bottom line is, Conservatives are virtually without fail proud of being conservative, and have never "needed" Moderates or Independents to win an election. In fact, if our last two Presidential elections have taught us anything, it's that the more "moderate" our Republican candidate is, the worse he get's beat. John McCain and Mitt Romney have been two of the most "moderate" candidates we've ever run, and they got their butts handed to 'em both times.

The last "ultra" conservative we ran won his two elections in landslides, and if we'd run one again, I think the results would be the same. There are a lot of Conservatives out there who are aching for their candidate to be proud to be conservative again.

It wouldn't matter what the Liberals or Moderates or Independents do.

Friday, September 11, 2015

The Hard Part of 9/11

It's easy to say we remember... that's the easy part.

It's easy to post some meme or picture on Facebook or some other social media site each anniversary. You can Google "9/11" and come up with literally hundreds of pictures from that day. Or even easier, just "share" somebody else's post or picture.

It's easy to ask yourself, "Where were you that day?" Or, "What were you doing when it all happened?" There's even a very popular song that asks those questions.

Yes indeed. That's the easy part.

The hard part is far more complicated, but so much more vital.

The question today, 14 years later, should be, "What are you doing to help make sure things like this never happen again?"

Some of us had small children when this happened, who are now all grown up. We talked with them. We tried to explain there are bad people in the world. People who hate us, and who hate everything we stand for. Yes, even people who hate God. And they hate us so much that they are willing to kill thousands of innocent people just to get their point across.

But what about you? What about those who have had children after those attacks? Have you had that same conversation with them? Have you taught them that it is important to stand up for what they believe in, and that sometimes there will be people who might want to kill them for those beliefs?

And what about our emergency responders? The people who would rather die than walk away and leave someone in danger? Do you support them now? Have you thanked a policeman, or hugged a firefighter? Or are you one of those who are spreading the idiocy that they're actually the enemy, out to get us at every turn, just waiting for some innocent victim to shoot? Just like the venom that is being spewed by our very own President now? Are you that person? Or do you really "remember?"

Speaking of our President, do you realize that in some ways, we all have George W. Bush to thank? He took the fight to them, you know. Yes, those people who every year on this date we claim we want to hold responsible... President Bush actually did that. Are you one of those people now who blame him for "two, unnecessary" wars, even as you post something on Facebook asking us to "never forget?"

Are you one of them?

Do you remember that during Bush's remaining years as President, while we took the fight to those who knocked down those towers, not another innocent American life was lost on our soil? There were no gruesome videos released almost daily of some beheading of an innocent hostage. Do you know that all those barbarians we see on TV today were all off hiding in a hole somewhere fearing for their lives because they knew the American Military was looking for them?

Are you someone who cried for a terrorist because we had to get tough with them in our interrogations, or cried because they were "mistreated" in one of our prisons? Did you cry for them when you posted your picture of the Pentagon this morning?

And how do you vote? Have you voted for leaders who truly do remember, and who want to once and for all defeat the thugs who killed 3000 people on 9/11, or have you voted for leaders who claim the whole thing was our own fault? That it's our fault those thugs don't like us and that its better to run away and leave the barbarians to their barbarian ways, rather than to stand up to them and fight them? Do you vote for leaders who believe it's better to try to negotiate and appease these people?

Is that how you've shown your children that you "remember?" Is that what you've taught your kids?

You see, posting a pic on Facebook on this date every year imploring us all to "never forget" is pointless if you've forgotten. Our world is vastly different today than it was prior to September 11, 2001, and isn't George Bush's fault. And everything you do that enables any of our leaders to somehow appease these murderous monsters, everything you do that somehow portrays us as the bad guys, betrays any attempt you make to "always remember," and worse, dishonors those innocent people and hundreds of heroes who died on 9/11.

Every time you blame a policeman for doing his job, every time you vote for a leader who doesn't absolutely promise to take the fight to the bad guys, every time you try to strip those around you of their right to stand up for their belief in God, every time you tell a citizen he doesn't have a right to pick up a gun and defend himself, you are in turn supporting the kind of people who attacked us on 9/11.

So please, if it makes you feel better to post a picture on social media on this date every year, if you feel more patriotic when you post a picture of a flag and an eagle flying around the twin towers, then great, I'm happy for you. But if you really want to do something that matters, something that shows you "never forget" and will "always remember," then do something really meaningful: Support your police force. Vote for a candidate who will stand up for America, instead of tearing it down. Teach your kids about a true, loving God, and teach them to stand up for Him even in the face of adversity. THAT'S how you "never forget." THAT'S how you honor those 3000 people who gave their lives on 9/11.

Because if you don't do it soon, our next "9/11" will be right around the corner.