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Family Versus Collective   by Andy Peth

6/22/2015

5 Comments

 
Picture
Today’s Democrat Party is unlike anything we’ve faced.  It’s enormous.  It’s incredibly diverse, holding its greatest strength in the fastest growing demographics.  Funding?  Limitless.  Worst of all, thanks to public schools, entertainment, and the media, our society is bathed in Democrat ideology from womb to tomb.  I’ll say it again:  We’ve never faced anything like this—not in the 1960’s, or even the 1860’s. 

Put simply, the Democrat Party has become a Collective.  A machine.  Like Star Trek’s Borg, today’s Democrat leaders control all who come in their path—and they do this through convincing the masses that other people deserve to be controlled.

In desperation, some on the Right push Conservative Collectives.   For instance, Establishment types can favor a Top-Down Collective, where everyone gets in line behind traditional leaders.  Some Grassroots types favor a Bottom-Up Collective, likewise stifling dissent through power of the crowd.  But whether using boardroom power plays or RINO-hunts, both sides forget the big problem:  As Individualists, we on the Right can’t be a Collective. 

Collectives control people; we free them.  Collectives thrive on conformity; we thrive on challenge.  Thus, while control rallies the Left, it only splinters the Right.  To defeat the Collective, we must unify as something empowering to individuals:  We must be a family.

Unlike Collectives, families exist not to control the outside world, but to improve their own.  No normal family seeks to “assimilate the Petersons next door,” because control is only used when necessary (like discipline), not as an end in itself.  Families are about unleashing individuals, not controlling them—and unleashed people achieve far more than corralled ones.  Hence, families are powerful.

“But wait!” you might say.  “Families use control!  Parents oppress!  Kids subvert!  Siblings divide!”

Exactly.  Tell me, when family members use such control tactics, how does it go?  Awful.  Saying “I’ll make you do what I want!” only drives families apart, because families aren’t about control.  Whether Top-Down or Bottom-Up, you can’t run a family like a Collective.

A Family Worthy of Commitment

For all those wanting to control fellow Conservatives, let me remind you of something:  Not only do you guarantee failure, but you’re missing the beauty of this family!  Do you realize how few Conservatives commit serious crimes?  Poll any prison population sometime—almost no Conservatives.  And who is America’s best armed group?  The NRA.  But who commits the fewest gun crimes?  The NRA. 

What about election fraud?  How many Conservatives—Establishment, Libertarian or Tea Party—steal lawn signs?  Virtually none.  Vote multiple times?  Nada.  Recruit illegal votes?  Zilch.  How many Conservatives of any stripe target Liberty groups through the IRS?  How many Conservatives—gay or straight—attack religious freedoms?   How many use Public Schools to force their values, sex views, or politics on other people’s kids?  In each case, virtually none.

While no Conservative is perfect, this family is amazing!  Be they fans of Bobby Jindal or Rand Paul or Carly Fiorina or even my least favorite—Jeb Bush—these people are amazing!  I am honored to be in this family.  Amidst a liberal world that silences me, I’m honored to be heard—and challenged—in this safe haven called “The Right.”

Tough Times in the Family

I remember when John McCain won the 2008 nomination.  Consumed with rage, I literally hurt myself kicking an exercise machine.  The election was over.  Finished.  Due to my party’s decision, Barack Obama would not only be president, but would sweep Congress as well.

I was one angry family member.

So what did I do?  Leave?  Attack the moderates?  Call for an overthrow?

No way.  After all, had my candidate won the nomination, I would have called on everyone to unify behind him--so could I do any less?  That’s what it means to be family—you don’t request what you won’t offer.  Besides, if we won’t honor the family’s choice, we’ve no right to compete for it, right?  Try saying this during your next disagreement:  “Support me if I win, and I’ll support you…if I win.”    

So I voted for McCain.  His views appalled me, but did I hold my nose?  Not at all.  I supported him with pride, because for me, it was never about McCain.  It was about my family—that remarkable group who took me in and heard my voice.  Before choosing McCain, they chose me, and they gave me every chance to persuade them against McCain.  I just fell short.

Today, despite our dedication to this family, I understand the distrust many feel:

  • Tea Partiers feel overrun by GOP powerbrokers.
  • Traditional Republicans feel undermined by Grassroots activists.
  • Libertarian-style Republicans feel ignored, believing the GOP won’t consider their views.

And of course, everyone thinks everyone else hates the Constitution.

In our frustration, we often issue ultimatums, pressuring fellow Republicans with statements like, “If you don’t follow the Party line, we’ll cut off support,” or “If your guy gets the nomination, we’ll stay home on Election Day.”  So it’s Top-Down or Bottom-Up, right?  All control techniques. 

Threatening the Family

But here’s some hard truth: No matter how good our intentions--I repeat, no matter how good our intentions—power moves, or vowing we won’t help defeat Democrats on Election Day, ARE THREATS—and not veiled ones.  Claiming it’s because of “principle” is groundless, as the result (President Hillary) is the most unprincipled outcome imaginable.  “Principle” can’t function apart from results, any more than “what I want” can function apart from “what I can afford.”   

You can’t sustain a family with control—and only a family beats a Collective.  So tell me, traditional GOP leaders, if you wall out Grassroots voices, how does that help the family going forward?  Hello?  Mississippi?  Thad Cochran?  Or Grassroots leaders, if you’ll only accept overthrowing the Establishment, then what about their supporters?  Will you just tell them to get in line and open their wallets—the very stuff you despised when they did it?

When someone says, “I won’t donate big money unless it’s for Jeb Bush,” or “I’m only here to support Rand Paul—choose anyone else and I leave,” it’s like saying, “I hate this family, unless it serves my purposes.”  One might as well say, “Mom and Dad, you’re morons.  Now gimme the car keys!”

Lately, many on the Right campaign by threat.  Some won’t vote if Cruz wins.  Some won’t if it’s Paul.  Or Bush.  Or…pick a name.  And as always, Top-Down power plays enter the process.  We’re destroying the family, people.

Remember, whoever wins the GOP nomination—whether Rand or Marco or Ted or Scott or Carly or Ben or anyone else--that person’s supporters will call on all Republicans to “put aside petty differences and unite against Hillary Clinton.”  I guarantee it. 

This in mind, how can I warn the family, “If you choose someone I don’t like, I’ll overpower you with party control (Top-Down), or abandon you (Bottom-Up)”?  How could I threaten the family whose support I seek?  How could I treat them like a Collective, but demand they treat me like family?

Family Victory

For a moment, let’s take our eyes off the candidates, including our favorites.  Just look at the family.  Look closely, past the pettiness borne of today’s anguish.  See how impressive they are—despite their faults.  For a moment, stop equating them to Democrats, if only because the number of differences makes such equating ludicrous.  Let’s step back, accepting reality.

And here it is:  We cannot defeat the Collective with divided factions.  We can’t afford to tell Libertarians “Just get in line behind us,” without giving them a seat at the table.  We can’t afford to wall out the Grassroots with power plays.  And we can’t treat the overthrowing of Establishment Republicans as some sort of Valhalla, since the family chose them, too.

Family first, folks.  It must be family first—or we’re finished.  Today’s Collective is too powerful.

Starting now, will you join me in re-creating the family we’ve destroyed?  It’s simple.  Next time you’re on Facebook, think, “If my candidate wins the nomination, I’ll want support from the family.  So how can I offer the commitment I desire?  How can I stop dividing, and start inspiring all parts of the family to a more united future?  How can I stop waiting for others to take the first step?

When valued and unleashed, families are more powerful than Collectives.  They’re more committed, their gifts are better used, and they’re much more inviting for new members.  Best of all, while only the other side can be a Collective, only our side can be a true family.

That’s our edge.  That’s our opportunity, if we so choose it.  Question is, who will go first?


5 Comments

Barbie Joe   by Andy Peth

6/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The other night when my wife and I watched Fox News, a story about toy stores flashed across the screen.  It seems some outlets are dumping pink and blue sections, as these “impose gender roles.”

“Jeez,” I muttered.  “Can’t we just let kids be kids?”

“Tell me about it,” said Cori.  “My parents pushed that agenda on me.”

“Really?”

“Yep.  To avoid ‘forcing my gender identity,’ they made me play with both Barbie and GI Joe.  It was so stupid.  I was pure girl, so I stuck with traditional roles.” 

“You played with GI Joe?”

“Sure.  I still have him downstairs.  But Barbie was my favorite!  She wore pretty outfits for dances at her Dream Castle!  I remember humming to myself, setting up elaborate balls—”

“Sounds cute.”

“—and when Barbie arrived, what a sight!  There she was, descending a grand staircase for all to see!  Like an angel!  Barbie brought me hours of joy!”

“And Joe?”

“I kept it traditional.  Like any girl would treat a boy chosen by her parents, I dragged Joe ten paces behind me at the end of a string.”

“Excuse me?”

“Some people stared.  There I was, walking through mud or riding my bike, humming while Joe bounced and scraped at a distance—”

“Mud?  Bike?”

“—and if Joe got snagged, I’d scream at him!  That’s what you do with military men!”

“I was military.”

“Coddling dulls their instincts for battle!  Soldiers need discipline—lots and lots of discipline!”

“We do?”

“At night, I’d prop Joe against Barbie’s castle window…(Cori grins slightly)…allowing him to see the food for her latest gala…the warm, plentiful food.  But after a few minutes, I’d scream at him again!  ‘Worthless urchin!  Get a job!’”

“Actually, the military is a—”

“I wasn’t usually a screamer…but that Joe!”

“We should change the channel—”

(holding up an imaginary doll)  “What?  You served our country?  Think that makes you special?  Hmmmm???  Tell me Joe, have you ever looked in the mirror to see an adorable girl, only to have adults insist you ‘discover’ what you really are???  (she’s shaking it violently)  Answer me, Joe!  Answer me!!!”

“Okay, let’s put down the—your hands—”

(smiling widely) “But my voice would wear out!  So I’d cuff Joe to the back fence, just inches beyond the dog’s chain.  For hours that Doberman strained forward, barking madly in Joe’s face—”

“For hours?”

“—often in the rain.  Military men belong in the rain—”

“I was military.”

“—develops character…teaches a man his place…that dog really hated Joe…”

The Empire of Barbie

When I had a spare moment, I snuck downstairs and searched Cori’s old boxes—eventually finding GI Joe.  He resembled numerous victims from “Saw.”  I then realized Cori sees a natural order to things.  Men need discipline.  Women need to descend staircases in sweeping gowns.  No gender confusion.  No shifting roles.  Despite all her parents’ efforts, my Cori embraced tradition.

Today’s parents are more insistent, however, and the Barbie Empire has adapted:

Business Barbie is a hot seller, with body-hugging corporate attire, and Ken doll assistants who will do anything for a promotion.

In California, many opt for PETA Barbie.  Pull a string, and accenting her fierce expression are shouts of “Meat is murder!”, “Fur is murder!”, or more directly, “Hillary 2016!”  Forever raised are PETA Barbie’s hands, revealing protest signs—and armpits unshaved.  Though still a teenager, her hair is disheveled, with signs of gray, and there is a distinct smell of cat.

Some tension exists, of course, between PETA Barbie and Big Game Hunter Barbie, who drives a car made entirely of ivory.  Then there is Wicca Barbie, who has several miniature Ken dolls of her own.  Jihadi Barbie insists her sons have done nothing wrong, Pantsuit Barbie calls prepared speeches “her interviews,” and Ken-Barbie supplants Jackie Robinson as the most courageous athlete who ever lived.

Finally, there’s Rachel Dolezal Barbie, complete with dark spraypaint and a ludicrously oversized afro.  Sporting the most authentic blac-cents of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, this Barbie warns NAACP chapters that Republicans will “Put y’all back in chains!”

Whatever the choice, today’s Barbie carries the same message for girls everywhere:  “Just be yourself, as long as that bears no resemblance to how you were born.”

My Point

There are lots of confused children out there—and perhaps some dangerous wives.   So what’s causing all this?  Is it pink and blue sections at toy stores?   Mmmmm…no.  Whatever your thoughts on gender identity, using two colors when selling to a two-sex species is hardly indoctrinating the next wave of Hitler youth.  Little girls run to pink sections full of dolls--on their own.  This isn’t brainwashing.  If girls want to play sports, no one’s stopping them from grabbing hockey sticks (though little boys will instinctively scatter). 

Herein lies the beauty of the free market--it’s free.  Go where you want.  Be what you want.  Call yourself Caitlyn, and we’ll all join you.  But when you force children of a two-sex species to endlessly reconsider which body parts were mistakes, you’ll produce confusion.  Painful confusion.  You aren’t saving them from pink and blue, since your goal isn’t to save them at all.  Your goal is retaliation.  Your goal is to terrorize a gender system you resent, and children are just your human shields.

Here’s my request:  If you want to remake your life or your world, then you’ve come to the right nation.  Live it up.  But if you want to unmake everyone else’s world, then pick another country.  Kids are helpless and impressionable, while adults comprise a free market that is quite capable of deciding whether it wants pink and blue sections.  That should be guided by their choices, not your protest.

And who knows?  If a little girl isn’t forced to like GI Joe, she might even grow to like him on her own. 

I know Joe would appreciate that.  And so would I.


0 Comments

Losing Gotham   by Andy Peth

6/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
“Batman!”

“What is it, Robin?”

“We just got a call from Commissioner Gordon!  The Mayor released Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin and Mr. Freeze from Arkham!”

“I know, Robin.  He was swapping them for Two-Face, who was being held against his will by terrorists!”

“Against his will?  How could the mayor be sure?”

“Because the terrorists sent a video of Two-Face wearing robes!  He looked sad!”

“He looked sad?”

“He sure did, and we never leave a man behind!  Besides, the mayor assured me the five wouldn’t return to the battlefield, because they said so!”

“But they have!  It’s mayhem out there!”

“Impossible!  They said they wouldn’t!  Suit up, old chum!  To the Batmobile!”

“But…but where’s my Robin outfit?”

“Oh, about that.  I thought it was time for (making quote marks in the air) an ‘upgrade.’”

“Upgrade?  This is a T-Shirt!”

“You don’t like it?”

“It says ‘Staff.’”

“That’s right!  It conveys a ‘Team First’ attitude!”

“Staff?”

“If citizens need help, they’ll know who to ask!  They can say, ‘Here Staff!  Come answer a question, Staff!  Good Staff!  Good Staff!’”

“But—”

“It’s all part of our new (making quote marks in the air) ‘public-friendly’ approach.  The District Attorney says there have been complaints regarding our use of force, so—”

“But the District Attorney is Harvey Dent…Two-Face!”

“Yes!  And now he’s back, contributing to society!  Never leave a man behind!  Remember how sad he looked?  No price is too high!”

“So are you wearing a Staff shirt?”

“No can do, Robin!  People want Batman!  See how that rolls off the tongue?  Batmannnn!  No, I’m afraid I’m stuck wearing this sleek, ultra-cool ensemble that drives women crazy!”

“Maybe I’ll change my name…” 

“Gotham is in danger!  We need…Batmannnn!”

“No more Robin!  I’ll be…I’ll be…”

“Staffman?”

“What?  No!  I need a name that commands respect!  A name like—”

“—Staffboy?”

“—something striking fear in criminals, filling citizens with wonder!”

“Staffboy Wonder?”

“Stop that!  This is ridiculous!  How can I fight crime in this shirt?”

“Well, for starters, we don’t say ‘fight’ anymore.  Too aggressive.  We’re here to be helpful; to (making quote marks in the air) ‘connect’ with the community.”

“But we’re hunting five super-criminals!”

“Whoa!  Hunting?  Criminals?  That’s pretty rough language, especially coming from Staffboy…never thought I’d see the day.  Remember, we’re building relationships.  That’s how you—”

“—fight crime?”

“No, that’s how you (making quote marks in the air) ‘resolve conflicts in—’”

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!”  (Robin leaps on Batman, flailing with punches)

“Stop it!  Bad staff!  Bad staff!  Jeez, you’re a wiry little fellow—”

“I can’t take anymore!  How does any of this stop crime?!”

“—it’s like holding off an angry Chihuahua—”

(Robin backs away)  “Oh yeah?  Well here’s what I think of our public friendly approach!”

“Whoa!  Those aren’t quote marks!”

“Batman, how can we do our job if we’re always hesitating, questioning our every move?  Bad guys don’t hesitate!  How can we protect Gotham when our District Attorney thinks we’re guilty until proven innocent?”

“Simple answer, old chum:  No matter what, just stay in the car.”

“Excuse me?”

“Robbery in progress?  Stay in the car.  Victims being dragged into alleys?  Stay in the car.  Looters rampaging through burning buildings?  DEFINITELY stay in the car.”

“Sooooo…we just drive around and ‘connect’ with the community?”

“We’re here to make our presence felt.  A positive presence!  That alone will reduce crime—”

“Reduce it?  Gotham will get overrun!”

“—I’ve even mastered this handy little wave…they use it on floats in parades.  No, if you’re ever tempted to leave the car, remember our motto.”

“Stay in the car?”

“Close. ‘No ground troops.’”

“What?  What the hell does that mean?  Look, hypothetically, if someone reaches in the car and is struggling to take my gun—”

“—we don’t use guns—”

“—HYPOTHETICALLY!  If someone reaches in the car and is struggling for my gun, what do I do?”

“Only one option left.  Remove the hostage from the equation.  Shoot yourself.”

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!”  (Robin leaps on Batman, flailing with punches)

“Ow!  Stop it!  Down Staff, down!  This is no way to—ow!—get a—ow!—medal for Courageous Restraint!  Ow!  Ow!”

“Batman, this is insane!  We trade bad people for people we don’t want back!  We have good guys second-guessing themselves in a city of bad guys who don’t, and we give medals for even more restraint!  Politicians treat us like we’re the threat!”

“Are you finished?”

“My shirt says ‘Staff!’”

“Are you finished?”

“I…I think so.”

“Good, because we’ll be late if we don’t hurry.”

“Late for what?”

“The mayor wants us to attend Sensitivity Training, hosted by TSA.  Today’s class is called, ‘You do it!  You do it!  You do it!—Deciding who will pat down Caitlyn Jenner.’” 

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!”



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