“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?” Matthew 12:34

This morning I came across an opinion piece in the local newspaper titled, “Trump Impeachment, no unity until his defenders repent.” Although I did not have my sackcloth and ashes nearby, I believed that I just had to read the article. It was instructive for a number of reasons.

After reading the title, I skipped to the bottom to get some background on the author. As it turns out, Tom Nichols is a “Professor of Security Affairs” at the Naval War College. (Evidently, he comes from the Max Boot School of Combat in that he has never spent one day in uniform.) Also, the background included the useful blurb, “He is a Senior Advisor to the Lincoln Project.” A ha!

As I was anxious to determine the exact reasons concerning my need for repentance, I dived into the article. I was particularly struck by the smooth tones of conciliation,

“We have had enough violence and rancor among us, and we need no further confrontations in the ranks of the American Family…These voters (Trump’s) are not my enemies. This about patriotism, not politics.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to sign up for that? But, just a minute. If this is about “patriotism,” why do we Trump voters need to repent?

Don’t waste time agonizing over an answer; there is none. No time need be squandered over people, such as those from the Lincoln Project, who have made an art form of speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

I really don’t have much of a problem with people such as Charles Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and the like. They have made it very clear that they are the enemies of freedom and, as such, are my enemies. I don’t even have that much of a problem with AOC and her squad, even though their latest addition, Cori Bush, is busy calling for the resignation of my elected representative. They make no effort to hide their agenda and, as such, they are the enemies of freedom and, by extension, my enemies.

However, what is particularly repugnant about “conservatives” such as Nichols are their reptilian assertions that we, who voted for and supported Trump, “are not my enemy.” Yes, Mr. Nichols, you are my enemy and I despise everything about you.

When I am out in the wild and I encounter a reptile, I will, invariably, head in the opposite direction. When I encounter one next to my house, well, my reaction will be quite different.