A Call to Arms

“Give me liberty or give me death.” - Patrick Henry

As our brave military men and women admirably serve; giving their most precious gift towards the pursuit of Freedom and Liberty all across this globe of ours, it is often asked by everyday people like ourselves “What can I do here at home while our nation’s finest fight abroad?” If you think of yourself as a Republican then I implore you to keep listening…

Naturally, I’ve a lot of rightward thinking people with whom I associate with. They too keep a watchful eye on the state of affairs in the political arena. From everything to Larry Craig’s toe tapping, to foreign fugitive campaign contributions to the Clinton Camp (not to mention her $110 billion government monopoly plan for healthcare), to Giuliani’s assertion that illegal immigration isn’t a crime, this aforementioned group of Republicans is tuned in to the political horizon as it comes more clearly into focus nearing November 2008. Yet, their political crosshairs on the run-up to the election have been too intently fixated on promoting an ideology of defeating Hillary’s socialist “village” policies above all else in their willingness to support any GOP candidate while subscribing to the unfortunate mediocrity lying within the “better than a Democrat” mantra. Be that as it may, let us make no mistakes about it, the Republican party is at a pivotal moment and as such I would strongly caution those potential voters from being rigid in this belief of defeating Hillary above all else. Unfortunately, in making my case thus far I have met stiff resistance as these party voters remain cantankerous on the subject.

Yet, I challenge them as well as you to consider “what is the party but a mere conduit to a movement; a cause”? While laboring for 4 or 8 years under Hillary’s socialist policies is not something that leaves me chomping at the bit, if it must come to pass in the pursuit of reestablishing the conservative cause, of which the Republican party serves as a mere messenger to, I am prepared to fight such a domestic battle and I implore you to do the same. That said, consider this a call to arms of sorts.

While the largess of the Republican leadership remains stupefied as to the cause of their midterm casualties by continuing to abandon conservatism at seemingly every turn, the largess of the party’s voters, while clamoring for bold change, mustn’t exacerbate this path of moderation. We have a great opportunity and an obligation to bring about this want for bold change by insisting that we too will fight ever so valiantly for Conservative values just as our great service men and women are fighting for Freedom and Liberty. Clearly, “Better than a Democrat” is not a message we as party voters ought to be endorsing. Because, the reality in that statement begs the question “how much better?” Dare I say not much.

Are such policies as our Governor’s merely holding the line on taxes, inferring we need more money for K-12 and SCHIP (which is subsidizing health care for able bodied childless adults), promoting insensible ethanol mandates, consideration of a gas tax increase on the heels of a tragic bridge collapse, calling a special session for flood relief that is contingent on a DFL promise to address solely that and a whole host of others really much better than what we might expect under Democratic leadership? Or what about that 3rd District “Republican” Jim Ramstad who’s now bowing out after 9 years of public service. And why? I’d be lying if I didn’t say that his claims didn’t leave me suspect. This is a man who with an [R] attached to his name went along with not a few but ALL of the proposals within speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s first 100 hours. Having done so, those of us in pursuit of reinvigorating the party’s cause, that of conservatism, had worked diligently in painting a rather sizeable target on the Representative’s backside by exposing him as a mere rhino within the party and one who was likely to have faced a conservative challenger had he sought a tenth term. Mind you this is but a sliver of a larger political problem for Republicans which the party’s voters are fooling themselves into thinking serves as “better than a Democrat”. We should come to expect better.

And, betterment will come but not until the people lead. Because, when the people lead the leaders will have to follow. Lest we forget, they serve at the mercy of us. So, are you willing to take up arms? Are you willing to lead? Are you willing to go through hell to get to heaven? Are you willing to, in the spirit of Patrick Henry, stand with your feet to the flames while subjecting yourself to the socialist policies of the first woman president and declare “Give me Conservatism or give me death”?

If you’re not then dare I suggest that the Democratic party could use a few people like you.