New York city officials have reminded citizens to be on the lookout for terrorist activity by using the tag line “See something, say something”. This phrase is intended to make sure people react to any and all suspicious events. Perhaps it’s time for Conservatives to do something similar: Hear something – say something.
At the grocery store, out for dinner or drinks, at the office, at a barbecue – wherever – when someone decides to bring up a fiscal or social topic, Conservatives often take the high ground and say nothing. Sure, you’re supposedly not supposed to talk religion or politics in social settings – so the left takes advantage, spews their garbage and assumes there is no real opposition to their way of thinking.
Hollywood is a prime example. Ben Shapiro wrote an entire book about how Hollywood’s elite are pushing a highly progressive agenda. Shapiro shared some of the insights from his book in a U.K. Independent interview in May.
“I was shocked by the openness of the Hollywood crowd when it came to admitting anti-conservative discrimination inside the industry,” “They weren’t ashamed of it. In fact, some were actually proud of it.”
Actors and crew who feel otherwise are bullied into silence. In such a hostile surrounding, I can imagine a young actor or cameraman nodding their heads to keep their jobs, while avoiding the urge to vomit simultaneously.
The problem is not limited to out-of-touch world of the super-rich Hollywood left. Conservatives have been effectively painted as extremists by the media. It emboldens liberals and quiets the opposition.
I dealt with a similar situation at work and did what many of us might do in a work environment. I work out in the gym at work. Since I was the first one in, the rule is, I get to choose what to watch. I put it on Fox News. 10 or so minutes later, another person came in and asked if she could change it. I let her know that I was watching it. She responded, “Good Lord, you’ll turn me into a pillar of salt”. I could have turned it into a lively discussion on immorality on television, but was satisfied with getting to watch what I wanted.
What if I had spoken up instead? What if I had asked her what news channel she would watch instead? Then ask if that news channel represents her Christian faith better or worse than Fox News and ask for examples. Later, when she gets home, she might think about what I asked, her faith and watching her beloved CNN, perhaps question her own choices. Maybe she’s choosing a political tradition in her family over the teachings of her own church.
Planting the seed of doubt is our responsibility. Silence only nurtures the liberal belief that their extremist ideas are popular. That’s how propaganda works.
One evening during the sixties, my dad was watching war protestors on the evening news, he looked at my mom and said, “One loud mouth fool on a corner is one fool too many.” While liberals love to spout off the reasons they detest conservative values, in a loud and obnoxious manner, conservatives tend to ignore such foolish behavior by turning to our values afforded by the constitution… shared with family, loved ones, and fellow conservatives.
Garbage is as garbage does. I wouldn’t give it that much credit.
I respectfully think you missed Rich Mitchell’s point. Conservatives are by nature, in the main, reserved and neither obstreperous or bloviating loudmouths. Sadly now, when the very survival of this nation is threatened that manner of ‘standing in silence’ as observers does nothing to diminish the liberal rantings that impress the youth as they are emotionally-based and impress the undecided, as they are ill-informed and naive.
The left aggressively goes after those “target groups” it perceives they can seduce votes from. When they succeed they get thousands of votes. When a conservative opines politely and effectively in normal social discourse maybe he wins over one or two voters.
The behavior of our announced candidates FOR ME is shamefully ignorant. Instead of posturing and fighting amongst themselves whilst the demonRATs take giddy potshots at all of them this is what they should be doing. Assaulting Obama and this congress 24/7 for each and every behavior, legislation passed into law, appropriation authorized that has brought us further down the road to societal AND economic destruction. Who is the most formidable and deserving of the nomination will be decided on sheer popularity and the impetus of polling data. Always has been and likely always will be.
Why are the Republicans engaged in shooting each other in the foot, when they can ALL be aiming arrows at Obama’s heart? The job here is to KEEP THE INCUMBENT ON THE DEFENSIVE.
doc, Youth are easily moved by radical winds, making them easy pickings for the left. They can have them. I don’t think it is our job to persuade fence sitters to climb down onto our side, especially when the choice is so clear: Join the rabid-liberals foaming at the mouth, or (out of individual curiosity) pull yourself over the fence and investigate conservative values. I don’t know a single conservative who became a conservative by rabid persuasion. Values are learned and practiced by those who choose them. While it is hard for me to envision a liberal with values, they have them, they just aren’t my values.
The behavior of the Republican candidates isn’t unusual within the context of American politics. Let them jab one another until the primaries and a candidate is chosen. That’s normal. After we have a candidate, then it will be time for the losing teams to unite against the golden child.
Mitchell’s point, as I see it, is to speak up when the truth needs told. Who doesn’t do that? I hear conservatives discussing issues and setting the record straight every day. This article mentions the real issue, and that is a heavy media bias in this country. Most of it is garbage, not worth repeating. There is a saying that applies here; “Never wrestle with a pig. The pig loves it, and all you get is muddied up.”
If we are looking for solutions to produce responsible young adults, the liberal left has beat us to the punch on that one by infecting our public school system with condoms, abortion rights for kids (without parental consent), kicking God out, and a slew full of other policies that undermine parental authority. The solution is to privatize schools, reverse obamacare, and get government out of the nuclear family.
I completely disagree with this comment:
“I don’t think it is our job to persuade fence sitters to climb down onto our side, especially when the choice is so clear”.
If you feel that way you are conceding the youth vote that does come out to the left. The choice is so clear ONLY to US, NOT to THEM! WE need every vote possible to SAVE THIS REPUBLIC in 2012. I’m committed to using forums like these to make my case for the nameless people who hit on keywords and surf in and check out comments and move on. I want to post enough TRUTH to entice them to THINK. All young people are not mindless liberals. Many are simple addicted to sports and the pop culture icons and such and have no real conception of what’s going on politically about them. It’s a fact that every time, in recent years, the demonRATs figured they had the young vote sewn up, that the young vote never showed up at the polls. WE can change that with some effort. They’re there for the taking and we should be making our GOOD FACT-BASED CRITICISMS HERE against everything the demonRATs say and do. Like Weinergate as an example. A perfect example to show others the hypocrisy of the liberals. How they have no shame. Even now this a-hole thinks he’s still a power-player and wants to name his successor. demonRATs don’t live in reality, so I let people know that. In Hew York The NY Post and Daily News headlines have crucified him by mockery. It would shame a “NORMAL” person, but not him. You can’t say it enough. demonRATs have no shame about what they do. Look at what happened to Spitzer, also from my home state , the liberal cesspool. He’s a political talking head on TV now and given credence by the RATs. And Hillary, The B*tch, our Secy of State, humpin’ for Lady Gaga entertaining and supporting homosexual cretins overseas!
When you conclude with this:
“If we are looking for solutions to produce responsible young adults, the liberal left has beat us to the punch on that one by infecting our public school system with condoms, abortion rights for kids (without parental consent), kicking God out, and a slew full of other policies that undermine parental authority. The solution is to privatize schools, reverse obamacare, and get government out of the nuclear family.”
…you’re being unrealistic. What about NOvember 2012? Have you QUIT? The CRISIS is NOW and will come to a head in NOvember 2012. NO time to fight little battles now, we need to win the friggin’ war AT THE BALLOT BOX. Of all the freedoms the founders gave us the RIGHT TO VOTE is the ace in the hole to stop the Oba-Usurper. You’d best realize that this next election is for ALL THE MARBLES. Not the presidency, BUT WINNING BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS, ideally with vetoproof majorities. If we fail I firmly believe it’s the beginning of the end.
Allow me to clarify. Not every young american is a fence sitter. We have quite a few who have been raised and taught conservative values who are conservatives. What I mean are the true “fence sitters,” the ones who can’t make up their mind for whatever reason. Sure you can speak with them, but I don’t waste my time on those who don’t help themselves (as in gets off the fence and comes over to find out what we are all about on their honest own.)
I haven’t quit. Quite the opposite. 2012 can reverse much of the damage that Obama has done.
Max, by saying that you don’t help those who don’t help themselves you’re giving up on the potential to influence change in that person and get his/her vote on the conservative side in 2012.
I gave up posting my opinion posting and debating on mixed political forums, because I realized that it was not a constructive way to reach the uncommitted voter.. Constantly being watched over by prejudicial moderators in what you say and how you say it. On those forums you get committed lefties and committed righties and neither is likely to change position. Here, on a forum that identifies itself as “Conservative” up front, you WILL GET the curious surfing in and observing what it said here. If it appears to make some “reasonable” sense to them, just maybe they’ll start looking at things from a different perspective. For me knowing that makes posting here worthwhile AND CONSTRUCTIVE TO A POSITIVE END.
I’d like to see a “hits” counter posted publicly here so everyone can realize what is ongoing all the time.
“Here, on a forum that identifies itself as “Conservative” up front, you WILL GET the curious surfing in and observing what it said here. If it appears to make some “reasonable” sense to them, just maybe they’ll start looking at things from a different perspective.”
Not likely.
“Not likely.” huh??? That remains to be seen.
You see the glass as half-empty. I see it as half-full. Did you rush right on by the reference to “the curious” in my comment you quoted?
Words Mean Things. Curious people would come to a conservative defined site to see what people who consider themselves to be conservatives are discussing and seem to believe. Many wind up here after having entered certain “keywords” in search engine databases, so they must have an interest in being here. Pure and irrefutable logic that you dismiss out-of-hand. Why do you think any website gets traffic attracted to it?