While campaigning as a Presidential candidate in 2016, Doctor Ben Carson stated that “There are a group of people who would like to silence everybody and have everybody go along to get along, but that’s not going to be very helpful for us in the long run—somebody has to be courageous enough to actually stand up to the bullies.”
This article argues that America’s 21 million military veterans need to be the “somebody” to effectively stand up against the leftist bullies—the people who want to turn America into some kind of socialist utopia, where America’s constitution is essentially shredded. Many, if not most, veterans have had their “fill” of leftist rhetoric and ideology. There is no better or more respected group of citizens than military veterans to stand up against the people who believe, among other things, that America’s founding was illegitimate and immoral.
The term “standing up” encompasses making strong public statements against leftist lawyers, advocates, and often violent crowds who push a socialist or socialist-oriented agenda. This agenda includes policies like free medical care and free college education for illegal aliens, sanctuary cities (and states) that protect illegal aliens, open borders, destroying free market capitalism, taking away private health insurance, elimination of the Electoral College, attacking people of faith, and other socialist objectives.
But more importantly, it is at the ballot box (in 2020 and beyond) where veterans truly need to stand up against the leftist bullies. In their hometowns and communities, veterans need to function as voting “force multipliers” in support of conservative political candidates. Such candidates genuinely love, treasure, and respect America’s constitution and constitutional republic, history, free markets, capitalism, limited government, religious liberty, and many other rights and liberties guaranteed in the constitution.
Veterans understand that a force multiplier is a capability that, when added to or employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment. In this instance, a voting force multiplier is an energized veteran who causes many additional citizens to vote for genuinely conservative political candidates.
It is believed that many, if not most, veterans need a bit of basic training on how to be a voting force multiplier. Suggestions are needed on how to approach and appeal to people in their sphere of influence (family members, friends, business associates, etc.). In this regard, a short, concise narrative for veterans to use when talking to people needs to be developed. Suitable, bullet-type literature and short 3 to 5-minute videos specially designed for veterans need to be made available for group presentations, social media, and so forth.
In order to accomplish the above, a veteran’s organization or other group needs to take a leading role to make it all happen. Such an initiative might be called Veterans Organized To Energize (VOTE). The critical question is—who will step up to help train and organize veterans to be voting force multipliers against the leftist bullies?
Paul S. Gardiner is a retired Army officer and graduate of the Army War College residing in Hoschton, Georgia. He is a Vietnam veteran and avid lover of America with its unique, God-inspired constitutional republic.
Easier said than done. The key point in organizing is to have outreach and a firm set of values that strike a common theme among “veterans”. Again, Easier said than done. Suggest the reach include more than traditional AISA, AmVet and VFW to organizational unit associations (82d Airborne Div association) etc.
President Trump is asking everyone to forward this email. In three days, most people in the United States will have the message. This is an idea that should be passed around, regardless of political party. The TRUMP Rules: Congressional Reform Act of 2017
1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. And, no more perks go with them.
2. Congress (past, present, & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as ALL Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people (i.e. NO MORE INSIDER TRADING!!!).
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts by and for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor and privilege NOT a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work … not get all kinds of freebies. NO WONDER THEY’RE FIGHTING EVERYTHING HE TRIES! Pass it on!!!! Let’s help TRUMP drain the swamp!! Just hold your finger down then hit forward and send it to everyone you know. Let’s help trump get the country straightened out.
Not all veterans are Republicans, but on the same hand anyone who has taken an oath to “uphold and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic” could possibly vote for the socialist agenda being put forth by the Social Democrats. I think the chips will fall where they may in the 2020 elections.
Why does every proposed solution to combating the encroachment of socialism into our society entail the necessity to form yet another new organization, with a massive administrative over-head, to accomplish what virtually every conservative person should be ready, willing and able to do to articulate and defend the principles by which this country was founded? Seriously! Every single constitutional conservative in this country should be able to effectively articulate the rationale and practical benefits of each part of the Constitution, as well as the real-world benefits of capitalism over socialism. Even if only a half or a quarter of that percentage of our population was so motivated, that would result in a massive push-back to the leftist narrative in this country. The issue preventing such a “force multiplier”, as the author calls it, is the general apathy of far too many people on our side to do anything proactive in the face of an obvious and growing threat to this nation.
You don’t need yet another special, new organization formed, which will NEVER happen as the author suggests, to get the message of what at stake here between freedom and capitalism versus the siren song of socialism, that has a long history of creating nothing but misery, poverty and death. What you need are enough constitutional conservatives, who are both willing to regularly engage with local members of their own communities (there are very, very few from my experience) and who can articulate, on both a concise and practical basis, the very clear distinctions between the two forms of government (also surprisingly very few).
Asking people to vote in 2020 and beyond for politicians truly reflecting American ideals SHOULD NOT be considered doing something special. That is what we should all be already doing and that alone, isn’t enough to reverse the tide. Simply showing up to vote every two years is NOT enough to change the hearts and minds of the thoroughly indoctrinated youth of this country, that have been conditioned to view socialism as superior to capitalism. It takes an on-going re-education process, by large numbers of our generation, to get through to the Millennials and Gen Z’ers before they make the fatal mistake of voting to adopt socialism here. That means taking action NOW. Not waiting for election day and hoping for the best.
This is the second article on this subject. I’m still not sure what it is you are expecting veterans to do. VFW and AL traditionally do not support specific candidates or parties. AMAC and AARP have affiliations but they’re loose veteran affiliations. There are groups, clubs and associations; some more aggressive than others. Most of us proudly served . I’m a retired veteran with a combat badge, I follow the laws, I vote, I fly the flag, I openly support the candidates of my chose and I have a concealed weapons permit. And I’ve moved on to a peaceful “independent” civilian American life. You can seek my support as a concerned American citizen but my life as a veteran is private and not for sale.
I didn’t notice anyone asking to buy you. Yes, as another veteran I follow the laws, vote and fly the flag, and I stand ready to support them without mention of doing so “as a veteran”. I do it for my family whom I don’t wish to see drug down by socialists power mongers.
Exactly what do you do as a veteran that you would not do as an American citizen? I don’t have a veteran hat and an American citizen hat. Veterans groups to support veterans I am part of and support that effort. A political veterans group – why- what would I do differently. The veteran is part of me, it’s not separate, something I turn on and off. No, you can’t buy me and you can’t bully me. But you can win my support and vote as a concerned American citizen.