Why I Protest
Loudly and often
Today’s post will cover a variety of related subjects, including why I protest the Trump version of the Republican/ MAGA party as a security threat, not a political problem. There will be valuable insights for both critics, supporters and otherwise. In fact, part of today’s narrative will include how I came to my opinions, which are frankly, always based on credible sources of facts, evidence and honest reasoning. To be clear, this is my narrative about the situation our nation is currently facing as interpreted by my own personal identity.
Part I: why I speak out
The beginning is always a good place to start and this begins from my childhood. I was raised by two, college educated parents, both US Navy Vets. Mom, a life-long rural Missouri Republican and dad, a life-long small town, Ohio Democrat. Both voted across party lines when the circumstances dictated and both respected good ole’ Midwestern rural common-sense. Truth mattered because whether farming or working in a different job, fantasy, conspiracy theories and dishonesty, would have left both sides of the Depression era families, hungry and homeless. In dad’s case, as the baby of 13 and with the shortest arms around the table, he learned initiative and tenacity early on.
Lying about weather or any other of the critical knowledge required for family farmers, didn’t put food on the table. On dad’s side, his father was a laborer his entire life, a veritable jack-of-all-trades. Word-of-mouth matters, especially in communities small enough that everyone knows each other. This means that integrity matters… a lot.
I had the fortune to be their only surviving offspring after losing my older brother when I was in high school. Knowing that I’d be without a sibling, only renewed their efforts to ensure that I was well-prepared to have the morality, work-ethic, knowledge and understanding I would need. I’m beyond grateful that they invested me with these qualities, despite some teenage years being a bit off track.
Dad, a lifelong educator at every public school level and later, a Navy civilian working as an education counselor helping sailors better themselves, also reflects our family tradition of public service or what I discussed in yesterday’s article, the Roman concept of virtue. The primary point of this virtue was putting the greater good ahead of yourself.
Post WWII, mom’s oldest brother was talked into becoming a Republican, Missouri state senator. My uncle was so disgusted with the corruption and dishonesty in the Statehouse, that after one term, threw up his hands and went back to the farm, until he eventually settled out west and became a builder.
Part II: Why my personal narrative matters
I tell y’all my story now because my profession revolves around narrative or more precisely, the fact that it is the core of influence. It literally is how we all derive meaning from all that occurs around us, our entire lives. Every person or audience has their own unique identity that is called our “NI or narrative identity.” Everything we’ve experienced in our lives, including those persons, places, events and more, create a perpetually evolving, “meaning map” between our ears that predictably dictates how we will behave, most often subconsciously.
For example, we all know precisely what to do or say to provoke a specific response in a family member or close friend. It’s because we instinctively know their NI due to having been close with them for long periods of time. This informs what I have had to say about the current US threat, emanating from extremists, masquerading as a political party. I have no political affiliation other than registering as a Republican when I came to Texas, so I could vote in primaries. I did this based on a dinosaurer version of Republicanism called, being an “Eisenhower Republican.” Today, this makes me painfully moderate, which doesn’t much appeal to either party, especially an extremist Republican party. Parties are focused on Narrative Warfare and so far, only the MAGA movement, supported by Russia and the immoral enablers of such politics have managed to alter, over the past few decades, the definition of what it means to be American. Their imposed NI is a direct threat to American democracy and embraces all manner of anti-American concepts.
Part III: Putting all this together
I’m telling you my story and weaving that story into today’s piece so that you will better understand how narratives work, why they matter and what they produce.
I have explained very briefly in Part II how NI matters in shaping our actions. Those actions triggered by our NI, mostly subconsciously also have a deep role to play in determining how we behave in the conscious part of our decision-making.
My vocal and somewhat reluctant criticism of the GOP, not principled conservatives, is based on another element of my personal NI, keeping politics and religion private unless voicing those opinions, matters to the greater good. At the moment and in the absence of any sitting Republican leadership, allowing principled conservatives a say in the party, someone must speak up. If Democrats speak up, no one in the GOP will listen.
This is why it is up to principled Republicans to restore sanity to their party or start a new one. With every sitting GOP congressman and Senator, virual cowards, who refused to rein in their traitorous leader silent, then someone outside must take the initiative. This is why I am speaking out. First, I understand the narrative. Secondly, I am raised on adapting truth (all known facts, related in objective context) to solve problems with common-sense. It’s literally, my family tradition.
I am not a politician nor seek to become one, but I’ll be damned if I can stand by silently while cowardly and extremist public officials debate our future. I was raised better than that and I honestly believe, most Americans are too. This applies to all spots on the political spectrum and what I am trying to trigger with my pointed and factual assessment of the GOP, is for the typically silent majority on both sides of the aisle, to stand up for actual American values, not the fake ones imposed by a traitor, his sycophants, his users like the elite billionaires looking to bend law to their selfish wants etc. Yes, Putin is using the GOP base too via employing his influence hordes to support the lies the GOP has lived on for the past 7 years.
The bottom line:
I have respect for most of my critics and recognize that they are acting on their NI. Identities evolve over the span of our lives. I am merely re-planting the seeds of actual American values, not the democracy-eroding fake values written into most GOP platforms in the Trump era. Entities like FOX, Breitbart, NEWSMAX and others are nothing more than propaganda, some of which is directly out of Russia.
As citizens, most of us claim patriotism. Patriotism isn’t real unless it’s based on true American values, as so eloquently espoused in our founding documents. If someone wants to be a principled conservative, liberal, independent or otherwise, then do so, it’s the foundation of our republic. Just don’t impose fake nonsense on the nation. It’s a national security risk of the highest order. This is evidenced by an armed assault on our Capital and our democracy. It’s evidenced by calls to undermine our constitution. It’s evidenced by forcing religious values down the throats of citizens and maddeningly, TX, my home is the poster child for undermining our constitution on this and other issues. There’s far more but y’all get the point.
One thing I can promise you, is that you will never hear me cheering on any party, because their big money influencers are disgraceful to me and the exact opposite of what our republic was designed to be. In fact, for our nation to succeed it requires that we hear factual and passionate debate on all items that deal with our nation. All major US parties throughout history have had their low-cycles, some lower than others.
When any faction behaves like MAGA extremists, I will take them on publicly too. My oath to the nation will never expire. Those parties that didn’t represent our values, disappeared entirely. This is the cliff that the current bunch of MAGA Republicans is threatening to push our democracy over. Not on my watch.
I will gladly accept any and all rebuttals so long as they are based on my previous definition of truth, above.
“Let’s roll” and restore this nation so that the word “United” in our title, means something again.
Paul