Poll Says Americans Afraid To Speak Their Minds

                A new national poll of 2,300 U.S. adults found that 71% of Americans believe that political correctness has silenced important discussions our society needs to have. Worse, 58% of Americans say that the current political climate prevents them from sharing their own political beliefs. The Cato Free Speech and Tolerance Survey found that only Democrats, by a slim majority, do not feel the need to censor themselves, while 58% of Independents say they keep at least some political beliefs to themselves. Fully 73% of Republicans said they keep their views to themselves. Among true conservatives, I’m sure the number is even higher.

                That this could happen in the United States of America is preposterous- and tragic. It certainly makes it easy to see how it occurred in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela, for example. Power-hungry statists (think “The Swamp”) manipulate decent people’s feelings in order to shut them up. The statists claim to be tolerant and open-minded and to espouse “equality” and “social justice,” want the rich to pay “their fair share,” and promise “free health-care, college, and birth-control” to everyone else…all the while knowing they are emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and financially raping them for their own benefit.  Physical rape may come a bit later.

                One of the reasons more conservative folks are uncomfortable- and feel “unsafe?”- with sharing their beliefs is the blatant bias and obvious (though empty) moral superiority with which progressives assault anyone with the temerity to stray from Pre-Approved Political Views.

                There is another reason, however. Most conservatives respect other’s beliefs and don’t want to randomly, needlessly inject politics into everyday life. We are taught, from an early age, not to talk about “politics, sex or religion” at formal- or friendly- gatherings with people we don’t know well. Simple decency. Treat others as you’d want to be treated, etc. I am “guilty” of this myself. A life-long serial offender, in fact.

                Leftists do not adhere to this ethic, regularly and wantonly turning even weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and funerals into strident, shameless political advertisements. This is not hyperbole, and I have personally been at a number of these functions. In 2002, Democrats turned the Paul Wellstone funeral into a Party Pep Rally, and, just recently, Maxine Waters used “comedian” Dick Gregory’s memorial service as a forum for attacking President Trump.

                “I’m cleaning out the White House,” she bizarrely declared to a cheering crowd of funeral goers. “We’re going to sanitize the White House!” She added: “When I get through with Donald Trump, he’s going to wish he had been impeached.”

                Classy and touching sentiments, indeed.

                The American Founders were exceptionally well educated, intelligent, and highly moral. Traditional, disciplined and respectful, they never sought a conflict with their British brethren. Yet, when they saw that their freedom and dignity were being abused and even mocked, they calmly yet steadfastly refused to yield even to the greatest military power the world had hitherto known. They simply could not countenance being taken advantage of in this manner.

                My fellow Americans in Flyover Country, and around the world, we’ve seen how corrupt the establishment classes are. Washington, D.C. is a swamp. Brussels is a swamp. The United Nations is a swamp. Hollywood is a den of inequity masquerading as the center of the moral universe. Your rulers in the big cities on the coasts disdain you…and worse. They all employ a cynical constituent calculus, and look ahead to how they believe the demographics of the future will affect their prospects for retaining power. A tip: you’re not a factor in their decisions.

                So, conservative Americans and Brits, Catalonians, people of Venice, and those seeking true freedom, independence and self-rule around the world, it is time to step up, not back down. We must no longer cower in the face of potentially violent though ridiculous backlash to our beliefs.

                Every passing moment makes our children’s freedom less likely, every minute we dally makes it more difficult for the truth to prevail, every second that finds us timid emboldens the dictators.

                It is not only time to serve notice to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-Un, Raúl Castro, and Hassan Rouhani that we’re no longer going to put up with their threats and bullshit. We must hold our own “leaders” equally accountable.

                Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May, and others must be held to account, as well. Note to our leaders: Black Lives Matter, of course, but so do ours. Immigration is not all bad, but neither is it always good. Illegal immigration is…illegal. We don’t get rewarded for breaking the law.

The Enlightenment eventually led to people believing they knew better how to govern their lives than did kings, dictators, or massive governments run by unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats. We are on the cusp of losing that forever. Do not be afraid. Never surrender. This could be the last time humanity has a chance to have a say in its own future.

Whatever it takes, whatever the sacrifice: Let Freedom Ring.