Challenging The Establishment

Challenging the Establishment

Written by Scott Cooper

December 3, 2011

The sad reality is, by the time the grassroots leaders that are studying and are rising up to bring our country back from the brink have turned this country around, most of the political leaders who led our country to the fiscal ruin we currently are in will have passed away from old age, likely having enjoyed luxurious retirements at the expense of taxpayers. 

The political leaders of the last two decades have allowed pork-barrel, earmark laden bills to go through congress, knowing full well they were purchasing re-elections on borrowed money.  While they would personally benefit greatly, others would be left to clean up the mess – likely after they retired or were gone from the earth.

Today, those who have been called to clean up the mess are getting educated.  The grassroots leaders that are rising up now are like our founders, are sacrificing and risking everything to fight a system that is completely out of control. 

In order to reclaim our system we will face fierce opposition from those who have been purchased through government largesse.  That is a battle worth fighting, because ultimately I believe the American people will understand the gravity of the situation and will buy into doing whatever it takes to keep America strong.  That is what makes America great – the American public always rises to the occasion to do the hard thing. 

What distresses me, is not the battle ahead to convince normal American’s of our perilous situation.  No, what creates great trepidation is the battle ahead that these newly rising grassroots leaders will face with establishment politicians who have for decades claimed to be conservative, yet bought into the earmark and pork laden legislation and fiscal irresponsibility that they should have fought against.  Rather than leading on the fiscal issues that are causing this crisis, the played along to get along.  Now they have been caught – and a storm is brewing against them.  Like King George, they will fight to stay in power.

The war ahead to bring true conservatives to power will be long and hard.  We certainly will not win every battle (election).  However when we put up a great fight in the first skirmish (primary/convention), it will yield results none the less, for it will create an elected official who will be more cautious as he/she votes, for they now know we are watching.  Yes – we are watching like hawks, and we will be back to fight the next skirmish (primary/convention) should you give us good cause.

Today, our battle is fought at the ballot box – and the skirmish must begin at the primary (or in Virginia, Convention).  The key is to ensure we engage in the primary when the establishment politician does not rank at least a 90 % favorability rating on our conservative issues.  For far too long our elected officials and career politicians have gone unchecked and unchallenged.  Those days must cease, if we are to return to fiscal sanity. 

We each must find those who have stepped up to challenge the career politician in a primary and lend them our support.  This task of challenging someone in a primary is daunting, and those who are engaged in this process need the support of countless citizens – they cannot fight the battle alone. 

If you are not yet engaged in this process yet – new recruits are needed.  Enlist today!

www.VirginiaTeaPartyPatriots.com

www.TeaPartyPatriots.org

In the end, like the American Patriots of the late 18^th century eventually took power from the out of control government of their day, the Patriots of the early 21^st century will also win back control from our out of control government, and the Republicans who abandoned conservative fiscal responsibility.  There may be trepidation, and distress among those who are fighting this battle, but in the end we know we are on the right side of history, and with Providential help, we will prevail!

A Major Benefit of This Grassroots Effort

A Major Benefit of This Grassroots Effort

Almost two years ago I met a family at the 2009 AFP Defending the American Dream Summit in Washington, DC.  They were newly engaged conservatives in the battle to defeat Obamacare.  I made a point to introduce myself to the woman after her speech because she mentioned they resided in the hometown both my parents grew up in, in SC, a place I still visit 2 – 4 times a year.  She spoke eloquently, but said that type of situation was foreign to her.  She said she was a brand new “activist.”  Because of similar interests, and the hometown connection – we have remained in contact via Facebook these past two years.

This week their entire family (of 7) was in Washington DC protesting FDA regulations.  On their way home, they stopped to have dinner with Suzy, David and I in Fredericksburg tonight.  We are planning to get together again in the future when we will be in South Carolina.

Three Saturday’s ago I had the privilege of sharing a meal at Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta with individuals from at least 10 States, who were in Atlanta for the weekend to strategize ways to reclaim our republic for the conservative principles we hold so dear.

In February, at another strategy session in Phoenix I shared several meals with some of those same folks and many others.  One of the couples in Phoenix (their families) had fled Eastern Europe in the 1940’s and then lived through the riots and revolutionary times in France in the 1960’s.  Those folks cautioned about the mentality that was so pervasive in France at that time and shared why they fled Europe to come to America.  They continued to share how, based on their experience they now see how that mentality has infected American Culture and are engaged in the conservative grassroots movement in the US because there is nowhere else to escape to.

While ABSOTULETLY NONE OF US wants to be in this battle to save our republic - we would rather be building our businesses, raising families and pursuing our own happiness; one of the greatest benefits of being a part of this huge grassroots effort is to be building relationships that cross state lines – and literally span our great nation from sea to shining sea.  It truly is an honor and privilege to get to know so many folks from across our republic that possesses a commitment and passion to do good for our country. 

I could write more about this passionate volunteer army of patriots that are sacrificing time, money, and other resources, but I don’t want to write a book. I simply want to reflect on the relationships that are being built.  Many of us, when we sit alone at our desks or computers studying the issues, we become overwhelmed and discouraged – but it is the relationships that are being formed that should help inspire us to press on.  Alone, the task may seem impossible – but as someone said – we outnumber them.  “We surround them.” 

We have some tough roads ahead, but these relationships give me encouragement, and I hope and pray they give you encouragement too.  We will prevail.  And when all is said and done, we will have gotten through the hard times together, and will have built some amazing relationships and friendships along the way – friendships that will last a life time.

Having been on numerous conference calls and in strategy sessions at the local, state and national level clearly we will have disagreements and struggles in coming to consensus on certain items – but in the end after we have prevailed.  We will look back on these trials and be grateful for the skills, talents, leaders and relationships that Providence established through these trials.

I close reflecting on the relationship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.  Both were on the committee of five to author the Declaration of Independence.  They worked very closely together on that project – then spent time together in Europe representing our new experiment, then both served in The Executive Branch during Adam’s presidency (Jefferson as Vice-President), then, as the political party process started they became bitter rivals for a very long time.  Before their death, 50 years to the day after the signing of The Declaration of Independence, they had reconciled and were Facebook Friends – well, they wrote hand written letters to each other on a pretty regular basis about everything under the sun.  

It is my prayer, that 50 years from now, we will look back on this turbulent time: we will have restored the concept of Federalism, Limited Representative Government, personal responsibility, ended the welfare state, promoted individual charity, individual rights, property rights, the rule of law, restored a strong American work ethic, and most important the importance of virtue and all that entails.  We will also being corresponding with large number of friends, in whatever mode of communication exists at that time, from all across the republic, who never would have even known each other had we not lived in such a time as this.