Dear Friends:
Ready to turn the page on 2020? I am!
The year began with some folks labeling it the start of the ‘Roaring 20s’, reminiscent of the economic surge of the 1920s. Regretfully, the ‘Roaring 20s’ might now better be labeled the ‘Tumultuous 20s’ – and the year isn’t half over.
We have endured a lot this year. A shortlist:
- A failed fraudulent presidential impeachment
- A deadly pandemic that locked down the nation, closed schools and businesses and ended a three-year economic rocket ride upward that pushed unemployment to historic lows
- The hoarding of toilet paper
- An incident of police abuse that triggered nationwide protests
- The hijacking of those peaceful protests by hoodlums and anarchists who burn and loot in their zeal to overthrow our government and replace it with Socialism-Communism
- The move by Democrat-run big cities to defund police departments leaving their citizens at the mercy of predators and in Seattle where anarchists have barricaded and taken control of a portion of the city with the tacit approval of the mayor
- The killing of 15 police officers in the three weeks following the start of civil unrest
- A renewed call to enact Red Flag laws to more easily disarm citizens
- The removal of historic monuments across the nation dedicated to Sons of the South, our nation’s founders and Statesmen that are deemed racist or offensive to some
- The purging of movies, TV programs, cartoon characters, and anything that can be linked even remotely to perceived racism and the silencing of any voice that doesn’t agree with social justice warriors
- All this and more while the hysterical national media whips up outrage by blaring negativity around the clock
A Reflection
Most Americans have never witnessed anything like what they are seeing today. Those of us with some years under our belt remember the ’60s and 70s. For me, it is a vivid memory of personal involvement.
I was a television reporter and regularly covered civil rights marchers in the ’60s. Most were peaceful with the continuous singing of “We Shall Overcome”. There were also more violent clashes between civil rights activists and police.
Simultaneously, Vietnam War protests brought hundreds of thousands to the streets in big cities and small towns calling for U.S. withdrawal from the war. Those protests resulted in violent conflicts at the 1968 Democratic National convention in Chicago. After Chicago, the protests escalated and continued for seven more years. Those were tumultuous times of change.
Today is different. Regrettably, we have become a nation divided into various camps viewing the others as their enemy. National patriotism has been supplanted by tribalism. It’s hard to imagine Americans joining together today to meet a national challenge from an outside adversary as was done some many times in our history. Is rallying around the flag to save our nation simply a quaint, old fashioned memory?
Public Safety is #1
Public safety must be our top priority to enable society to function.
To be clear, injustices based on race must not be tolerated. Justice should be blind and fair for all. Any segment of our criminal justice system that still has policies, procedures or attitudes that are in opposition to equitable justice must change.
It is also unjust to taint all police officers for the actions of a very few. They are our neighbors and friends who leave their homes and families each day for the dangerous job of protecting us. The vast majority of law enforcement officers are dedicated public servants who are paid little for all the risks they endure.
As with any group of humans, police forces have misfits. Those people need to be weeded out and must not be allowed to wear a badge. Civilian Review Boards to review police misconduct and provide the needed check and balance are a useful oversight as has been demonstrated by the City of Aiken. The disbanding of police departments is a ludicrous idea that is rejected by nearly every American. The guardrails of civil society are law and order.
South Carolina Protest & Riots
When rioting first erupted in Columbia recently, Governor Henry McMaster made it clear that South Carolina welcomes peaceful protests but will not tolerate rioting and violence. South Carolina religious and civic leaders joined him in calling for voices to be heard in peaceful protests – part of our American heritage and right – but they all condemned violence.
Erasing History
In recent years, a war on America’s national memory has been waged. Historical monuments have been destroyed by vandals and removed by local and state governments. Some politicians have quickly joined the chorus of those demanding the removal of historical monuments.
The recent racial unrest has renewed the call to pull down Confederate monuments in South Carolina. The City of Columbia quickly removed the long-standing statue of Christopher Columbus. Charleston city leaders are preparing to topple the towering Calhoun statue in Marion Square. Clemson University Trustees are requesting the General Assembly permit them to rename Tillman Hall and USC is requesting name changes for buildings. And this is just the beginning.
The South Carolina Heritage Act protects historic monuments and war memorials across the state and requires a vote of the General Assembly for them to be removed or changed. The Heritage Act was last altered in 2015 when the Battle Flag was removed from the front of the Capitol following the senseless killing of nine people at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston.
The general public is not supportive of the so-called ‘cancel culture’ movement. A national poll by Rasmussen Reports showed 88 percent of likely voters support monuments to Washington and Jefferson and 69 percent support those erected in remembrance of Confederate veterans.
In South Carolina, heritage roots run deep and must be protected from the small minority of ‘The Offended’ who grab the attention and who would gladly erase history rather than learn from it. I stand on the side that respects history and heritage.
Intolerance to Your Voice
Recent events have demonstrated once again that the ‘speech police’ are out to silence you. Don’t you dare utter words, write a Facebook post, or Tweet anything that offends someone. There will be demands you apologize and even if you do you may likely receive a barrage of public humiliation as well as calls for you to be fired from your job.
Worse, the offended are often successful because individuals, businesses and corporations cower to the Social Justice Warriors.
The Rule of the Woke Mob – one must not offend ANYONE with words or actions (of course, that’s impossible) and you must abide by their “politically accepted” group think or be ostracized. First Amendment free speech rights are quickly becoming a thing of the past when the Woke Mob makes the rules.
Not only do individuals want to silence and censor you, so do the corporate giants who operate social media platforms. I was recently censored by the video platform Vimeo (I pay for their service). Twice they removed my interview with a reputable doctor who led the team that created the U.S. Pandemic Response Plan for Homeland Security. They claimed the doctor “perpetuated false and misleading claims about vaccine safety.” The big guys (the self-appointed PC police) hide behind their corporate curtain and serve as Judge, Jury, and Executioner of your free speech.
Wake up, America!
It is time for each of us to stand up and defend our right to free speech. We must endeavor to listen, be respectful, and be peaceful, but we have every right to express our own opinions and not be silenced.
I’m Available and AT YOUR SERVICE
It is my honor to be of service to you. If you need assistance during these trying times, navigating though the flow of information on COVID-19 or navigating state government, or have any thoughts or concerns about what we are doing, please do not hesitate to contact me.