Are you being harassed for your American views on law and government?
Are you being overpowered in conversations, where no amount of logic or civil discourse can occur?
Are you being bullied into accepting robbery, arson, theft, and violence as “normal” or “necessary”?
Why Traditionalism Still Matters
You are not alone. Remember, it’s ok to be a traditional American. It’s ok to stand up for American values and not be intimidated. Americans reject racism and injustice. We believe in equal justice under the law. We know that our unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (which includes our property) comes from God, not from government.
Unlawful protests, which include robbery, theft, arson, and rioting, are against the law. I shouldn’t have to say that, but many are defending such actions as necessary. Anarchy, which is the desire to do away with all governmental authority in favor of direct democracy, is what our Founders termed “mob rule.”
Understanding the Anarchist Narrative
Some Anarchists believe in the mutual sharing of resources (who decides what you will share and how much?), political protests (even lawless ones), and decisions made by consensus rather than debate (as in a constitutional representative republic). Anarchists generally seek the abolition of authority structures such as the military, the police, prisons, and the Creator. Capitalism is seen as oppressive. The Collective is king.
These days, Anarchists believe that traditional Americanism is biased. The self-evident truth that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, is perceived as a failure and cannot be fixed. A new way of thinking is rising. It is that traditional Americanism must be eliminated, and a new America must rise.
Anarchists don’t tolerate traditional Americanism because of its nature and structure. Peaceful protests, rugged individualism, lengthy debate, protecting our borders, and law and order are not a part of anarchist beliefs.
Who has your ear? What voices are you turning to in this divisiveness of American life and culture? Do you seek a new country and a new way of life someone sells as a utopia that exceeds more than American exceptionalism ever did? Do you embrace continual sowing of discord among your fellow Americans? Ask yourself if the people you are listening to are people whom you want to emulate.
Practical Ways to Preserve Civility
We can agree that Americans need to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. When the conversation deteriorates into someone naming, blaming, and shaming you, quietly end it until a civil discussion can occur from both sides. If civility cannot be a regular part of American life, at least you and I can stand up for respectful communication. Insist on it, or disengage.
You can’t argue with a bully. You must defeat bullies. Your first line of defense is your belief in American principles and your commitment to living them. Your second line of defense is listening. Next, is your ability to calmly articulate NOT what you emotionally feel is right, but what actually IS right. Know your facts and your experience. And remember this: Some come for understanding. Others just come for an argument. Know the difference. Never give in to the bully. Such people will never respect you or your beliefs. Their ideas must be defeated.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
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