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Celebrate Our Victories!
It has been an awful couple of years in the United States—culturally, religiously, politically—and it’s difficult to appreciate that some things are actually moving in a positive direction. In contrast to the disasters we’ve witnessed, the Federalist published a piece that focused on how many things we have accomplished, and I wanted to expand on that list. In some cases, my points are less about major victories, but about steps that we have taken to pull us out of the mire and take constructive steps to take back our country.
Let me summarize the points made in this article, and there were ten of them:
Overturning Roe, which has been long overdue; states, courts and parents pushing back on the trans agenda; even the general population beginning to realize that the media is in collusion with the Left; the Supreme Court upholding our second amendment rights; getting rid of Liz Cheney; a federal judge “smacking down” Biden’s federal mask mandate; Top Gun “Maverick” which bucked the Chinese censors, celebrated America and was hugely successful; the fight against Loudon County schools; Elon Musk’s restricting censorship actions of his own employees; and finally, states fighting for election integrity.
In my eyes, this list was impressive but incomplete, so I’m adding my own victories:
Several Attorneys General going after ESG; challenges all over the country continuing against the woke agenda, including Critical Race Theory; the media admitting their collusion with Democrats (in so many words) regarding the Hunter Biden laptop; greater public awareness of the disaster on the border; and states that refused to cave in to the Covid agenda.
But I was especially pleased to see Republicans fighting with each other: some of them are unwilling to act like Democrats and support the Leftist agenda. Although on the surface, the fighting is ugly and concerning. At the same time, we are beginning to witness the Republicans who are willing to strike out against the establishment agenda and take risks. We need to recognize those who are willing to fight back, and acknowledge them at the ballot box.
So our victories show up in our willingness to support those who show courage and determination to resurrect the conservative agenda.
It’s way past time, and I think those accomplishments are worth celebrating.
Please add to these lists of victories to help honor America and its Founders!
* * * *
I think that celebrating our victories is critically important for our personal wellbeing and for the country. In the months and years ahead, it will be easy to become discouraged when we see the state of affairs. These lists are not just intended to be morale boosters, but to provide balance to the negative outcomes and those who will try to discourage us.
[photo courtesy of unsplash.com]
Published in Culture
You may already realize this point, but it’s not the number of victories that matters, but how consequential they are!
Pretty short list:(
Here’s your phrase in Latin for fans of the collapsed Roman Republic “non huc usque ad solum hoc usque“.
Fortunately I don’t read Latin. Also, if my list is short, add some!
Thank you, Susan. As the resident insufferable optimist, I very much appreciate someone pointing out that the glass is not entirely empty.
Happy New Year to you, my dear.
Thanks, Hank, and the best to you and yours!
Susan, your posts are always thoughtful and enlightening; this one especially. Thank you.
Thanks, Jim. It’s just too easy lately for me to allow myself to be overwhelmed or bitter. It’s not a good “look” for me! I sure hope some people will offer other good outcomes.
Fortunately I don’t read Latin. Also, if my list is short, add some!
I don’t know Latin either – to my great sorrow – so I tried a Latin to English translation website and got:
“i’m not alone in this hockey world.”
Probably not exactly right, but I sort of like it!
Works for me! Thanks!
I know what you mean . . . “Count your blessings.” Yes, we did have some victories, but I think the Dems are counting their blessings too, and theirs drastically outnumber ours.
We also still have to support the RINOs, if they are the nominee in whatever race. We also need to support Republicans we don’t like, which means no more “Never-XYZers” who won’t vote, or worse – support and vote for the Democrat . . .
I didn’t say it would be easy! Also, it’s not the number, but the quality!
* We have one good governor in the USA and perhaps in 2023 some other governors will hop on the bandwagon.
* We have a stroke victim that cannot speak coherently representing a large state in the “world’s most deliberative body”. That should be entertaining.
It must necessarily be both the quantity and the quality.
Overturning Roe v Wade was a huge victory.
I’ll agree with that. I just wonder if a lot of people feel so betrayed by the Republicans that they will refuse to recognize the things they have done well. Let’s just keep beating up on the Reps until they do what we ask them to, and won’t be happy until they do what we demand. That seems self-defeating to me.
Thanks, HW; that was acknowledged in the original article (which I cited). But some people may say it simply is not enough to give any kind of recognition.
I am going to write something really unpopular regarding the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Ok. Here goes.
The two people we should thank the most for the overturning of Roe v Wade are Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell. Trump nominated 3 US Supreme Court Justices.
McConnell played a crucial role because when Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, while Obama was still President, McConnell quickly announced that the GOP controlled US Senate would not even consider a US Supreme Court nominee made by Obama.
McConnell’s move made the Left furious. But McConnell’s move paid off. Neil Gorsuch filled the Scalia seat, not Merrick Garland, thanks to Mitch McConnell.
McConnell is ‘da man.
Three more on the foreign policy front:
Major questions doctrine from West Virginia v. EPA might be the most consequential SCOTUS decision of the year.
Excellent examples, Steve! Thanks!
Indeed. Hopefully we’ll see more conservative decisions from SCOTUS, particularly for those cases that focus on religious freedom.
Schumer gets his judicial appointments through, pushes his party’s agenda forward, and sets his caucus up for success as best he can.
McConnell gets his judicial appointments through.
Yay us.
I will give him credit for that, but frankly for little else. He has insisted on supporting Democrats on too many bills, and also pushed for the Omnibus bill. I don’t think he wants Republicans to take the big risks, and I’m sorry to say that.
God is in control. Everything that happens has a reason in His plan
The list of victories, sadly, is evidence of earlier failures that all stem from our national failure to safeguard our constitutional republic. The progressive strategy has been to “flood the zone”. This make the number of victories impressive but insufficient. Much work remains and success is uncertain.
Completely concur. Success will depend on the perseverance of those in power. Will they follow through? Time will tell.
I expect representative government to be imperfect. Human beings are imperfect. So, it makes logical sense that the governments that they form will contain, even magnify, these imperfections.
Would I like it if more voters agreed with me more often? Sure. But when I talk to friends, co-workers and family (even my wife) about politics I learn very quickly that my views are far to the Right of those I talk to.
So, I expect that I will be out voted by those who disagree with me. That’s just reality.
I’m not clear on how that applies to the current situation, HW. Are you saying that those on the Right in government should live with the fact that, although they have been voted in, they have to give in to the pressures of those who are in the middle?
Years ago I was reading through “The Almanac of American Politics,” by Michael Barone. I forget which edition I was reading. But it must of been from the late 1980s because I was reading a summary on New Hampshire US Senator, Gordon Humphrey. Humphrey was one of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate back in the 1980s, until he retired in 1990, keeping true to his pledge to only serve 2 terms.
Michael Barone wrote that (from memory) “Gordon Humphrey is the kind of conservative who takes on lost causes and then complains that he’s been sold out.”
I hold some political views that are not popular among most Americans. For example, I’d like to see the entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) that are bankrupting our country to be reformed. But any reform that could actually save serious money is going to be very unpopular.
So, I expect that either nothing will be done or some awful compromise will be made at some point.
I can respond by cursing RINOs if I want. But political reality is something that should be kept in mind.
For many conservatives, the only reason why we haven’t already enacted the conservative wish list is because of “traitors and RINOs and the deep state.” I think they are wrong. Sometimes the people just disagree with you.
The people aren’t the ones who enact legislation. BTW, I do think social security and medicare need reforms.