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American Fear
The Patriot/Liberty movement is locked in
fear. While there are countless fearless individuals in the movement, I think it
says something for us that we are not fearless without bound, we are bound by
the knowledge that it is our families who will pay for our involvement and
actions.
On the other hand, heroes are not fearless, they are heroes because they act regardless of their fear. It is easier to do when confronted with a situation where the only solution to a grave problem is to take the grenade, or provide the distraction so that others might escape, etc. It is much more difficult to do when there seems to be nothing to gain and everything to lose.
The question then is: Is it for nothing?
I think most in the movement are concerned about being a headline in the local paper, a side note on a slow news day. Even if we consider that what we might do would be notable, widespread and given a few moments of fame, we are not in it for these things.
Most of us just want to know that we are sacrificing ourselves so that liberty can live in the hearts of Americans again, most notable on that score is our children. There are plenty in the movement who feel that they would make the sacrifice, were that act to benefit their children with the sort of liberty we once knew. But, there are no guarantees and without them, we are hesitant.
A person in the movement imparted to me a few things the other day. 1) we have no organization because we have no leadership, or at least someone who is speaking for us on the national stage (they all run and hide when the water temperature rises the slightest bit); 2) we have no funds, no big money philanthropist willing to bankroll our actions.
Without leadership and funds, what do we really think we are going to accomplish? About what we are now, singing to the choir and praying for converts.
If this is the extent of our resources, we are at a dead end. Other than the odd act of one or more patriots, which will quickly be condemned by every media outlet in the nation, we are stagnant.
I know you have all heard me lament the lack of leadership before and the lack of funds, so I won't replay that script. Let's look at the problem anew.
We need to act. We have not. We have not because we are afraid.
Whether that fear is a fear of being marginalized and written off as an extremist or lunatic and knowing that your family will live with that stain the rest of their lives, or not, it is fear.
Own it. Overcome it.
I wish that we had real-time news of the revolution. I bet we would be surprised by what a lot of people said about those traitors, malcontents, spoiled brats, etc.
If one were to make the comparison of ourselves and the founders prior to the Declaration of Independence there are only two things lacking, military leadership and funds. I do not think that we lack in intellectual acuity, except that those possessing of the great brains on the right, on Constitutionalism, will not associate with us. They are afraid of being labeled traitors and malcontents as well.
We have got to get over these limitations of fear.
Funding, that is a matter of fear as well. Chick-fil-a, the Catholic Church and the Koch Brothers are examples. Why would they side with us? We offer no protection, no resistance, no legitimacy and especially no humor.
There is a point of consolidation, however, a moment of epiphany for all of us, but no one will rally around people who do nothing, but complain.
What we have to do is something smart, something recognizable, something even a bit humorous in a raucous, American way, kind of way like the original Tea Party, to get their attention. We have to BE American. So many of us have been diluted through pressure that it is difficult to think of actions like we used to, the "in your face" type of things that Americans used to do.
My e-mail is tl@tldavis.com. I have been racking my brain trying to think of something, but I am not as American as I used to be either. I would like to vet suggestions (aside from hang 'em all).
On the other hand, heroes are not fearless, they are heroes because they act regardless of their fear. It is easier to do when confronted with a situation where the only solution to a grave problem is to take the grenade, or provide the distraction so that others might escape, etc. It is much more difficult to do when there seems to be nothing to gain and everything to lose.
The question then is: Is it for nothing?
I think most in the movement are concerned about being a headline in the local paper, a side note on a slow news day. Even if we consider that what we might do would be notable, widespread and given a few moments of fame, we are not in it for these things.
Most of us just want to know that we are sacrificing ourselves so that liberty can live in the hearts of Americans again, most notable on that score is our children. There are plenty in the movement who feel that they would make the sacrifice, were that act to benefit their children with the sort of liberty we once knew. But, there are no guarantees and without them, we are hesitant.
A person in the movement imparted to me a few things the other day. 1) we have no organization because we have no leadership, or at least someone who is speaking for us on the national stage (they all run and hide when the water temperature rises the slightest bit); 2) we have no funds, no big money philanthropist willing to bankroll our actions.
Without leadership and funds, what do we really think we are going to accomplish? About what we are now, singing to the choir and praying for converts.
If this is the extent of our resources, we are at a dead end. Other than the odd act of one or more patriots, which will quickly be condemned by every media outlet in the nation, we are stagnant.
I know you have all heard me lament the lack of leadership before and the lack of funds, so I won't replay that script. Let's look at the problem anew.
We need to act. We have not. We have not because we are afraid.
Whether that fear is a fear of being marginalized and written off as an extremist or lunatic and knowing that your family will live with that stain the rest of their lives, or not, it is fear.
Own it. Overcome it.
I wish that we had real-time news of the revolution. I bet we would be surprised by what a lot of people said about those traitors, malcontents, spoiled brats, etc.
If one were to make the comparison of ourselves and the founders prior to the Declaration of Independence there are only two things lacking, military leadership and funds. I do not think that we lack in intellectual acuity, except that those possessing of the great brains on the right, on Constitutionalism, will not associate with us. They are afraid of being labeled traitors and malcontents as well.
We have got to get over these limitations of fear.
Funding, that is a matter of fear as well. Chick-fil-a, the Catholic Church and the Koch Brothers are examples. Why would they side with us? We offer no protection, no resistance, no legitimacy and especially no humor.
There is a point of consolidation, however, a moment of epiphany for all of us, but no one will rally around people who do nothing, but complain.
What we have to do is something smart, something recognizable, something even a bit humorous in a raucous, American way, kind of way like the original Tea Party, to get their attention. We have to BE American. So many of us have been diluted through pressure that it is difficult to think of actions like we used to, the "in your face" type of things that Americans used to do.
My e-mail is tl@tldavis.com. I have been racking my brain trying to think of something, but I am not as American as I used to be either. I would like to vet suggestions (aside from hang 'em all).
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