June 29, 2009
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A July 4 message to conservatives
Guest Editorial But the crisis that we face in our nation today cannot be blamed totally on the actions of others; this crisis is the consequence of our own inaction, our silence and our lack of vigilance in keeping and preserving the ideas and principles handed down to us. The truth is others who don't believe what we believe, who don't honor what we honor and who don't value what we value are deciding the course of our nation because the majority of us made a decision not to get involved. So don't blame liberal Democrats or Republicans. We have no one to blame but ourselves. The fact of the matter is that those who hold the most liberal of views – socialists, secularists, radical environmentalists – have been more committed to their beliefs than we have been to what we believe. And rather than vigorously oppose the take over of our public schools, colleges and our politics, far too many of us simply shook our heads in disgust and did nothing. In that regard, a great deal of our apathy is inherited. For the vast majority of us, our parents and grandparents did not get involved in politics either. And most of us do not have a family member who has ever held office or even run for office. The way to get a grip on where our country is today and what we can do to change its course is to change our perspective. We have to create a new sense of responsibility and a new understanding of an old word that is not used much anymore … duty. We have a duty to this country that must transcend our personal interests; a duty that should compel us to get involved. Ask yourself a couple of questions. What demands do you have on your time that are so overwhelming that you can't spare a couple of hours a week to do something that could change the course of this nation for the better? Ask yourself: am I stretched so thin financially that I can't afford to contribute a few dollars to help get good people elected to office? I know these are negative questions. They are questions that presume a negative attitude or circumstance? So, let me ask those questions from a proactive perspective. How much time can you invest each week to save our country for our children and grandchildren? What talents and experience do you have that can make a difference? What influence do you have that could motivate others to get involved? What resources can you invest in an effort to recruit, train and fund candidates or to support organizations that promote and defend the principles on which this nation was founded? And then ask yourself a more demanding question: do you have the qualities we need in an elected leader? If the answer is yes, are you willing to step forward and run for office? America needs people asking these questions and answering them with their actions. When people start responding to these questions, a change in perspective will occur. It will no longer be about what others have done to take our country down, but what we as individuals must and absolutely can doc to bring it back up. We must stop casting liberals as the bad guys. They simply act on what they believe so don't fault them for being more committed to what they believe than we are to what we believe. In a country with representative government, participation is mandatory. “We the people” are not just three words on parchment; they are words that tell us that in the United States, the government is a reflection of the people, that the government's authority is from the people, and that it gains its direction and definition of purpose from the people. But not from all of the people; … only from the people who get involved. That is what conservatives should think about on this Fourth of July and that is the message that should be delivered at every tea party. Gary Palmer is president of the Alabama Policy Institute, a non-profit research and education organization. |