American Grass-root Conservatives are Waking Up

by Joe O’Rourke

Recent events, primarily the results of the 2020 Presidential election have awakened America’s grass-root conservatives. For too long they have watched from the sidelines as establishment politicians, leftist journalists, Hollywood entertainers, professional sports celebrities and “woke” corporate executives have infiltrated America’s educational, media, legal and business institutions. That began to change when Trump was unexpectedly elected as President in 2016. Conservatives took hope. They saw that a person exhibiting courage, independence and strength could resist the leftist’s drive to fundamentally change America as President Obama had once promised. However, most conservatives were content to remain uninvolved believing that Trump and his allies could fight the good fight and win! In November 2020, the notion that one strong conservative leader could stem the tide of the totalitarian takeover of The United States was shattered. It came as a shock to see how far to the left the democrats, urged on by their totalitarian allies had moved, how entrenched they had become in the power centers of America and how determined they were to secure political victory, at any cost using any methods available without regard to notions of fair play, tradition or ethics. There was also the nightmare of the Wuhan virus and the resulting domestic lock-downs and loss of individual liberty coupled with civil disturbances and riots in America’s cities. They watched in disbelief the rise of corporate activism and the rush to embrace the cancel culture. The country was indeed changing fast and most decidedly following the wrong path. The time had come for conservatives to join the fight or lose forever, the America that they so cherish.


Many chose to join the battle. Action-based organizations sprang up in communities throughout the country. The question that troubled citizens sought to answer was what can be done to save their country from approaching disaster. Wisely, most realized that direct action must first be taken at the local level. For too long hard-working conservatives had conceded the control of local governance to left-leaning progressives and that had to change and change swiftly.


What can those actions be? A good first step is to scrutinize the entrenched bureaucrats in County and City government, appointed special board members and most ardently the members of the local school boards; and hold them accountable. Through elections or recall petitions, replace them where necessary.


Who will take those actions? It has to be individuals from all walks of life, but especially those who hold traditional, conservative principles and who heretofore wished to avoid the controversy, struggles and the spotlight. It is time to abandon the naïve reliance on well-spoken, but weak willed political leaders who would never be successful in standing up to the leftist establishment. It is time to join with like-minded conservatives to form an army of dedicated activists; activists who will commit to defend their deeply held values and who will act using their personal abilities, talents, time and resources. The power and effectiveness of the movement will be directly proportional to the decency, motivation, strength and actions of the individual members.


The members of the action communities must support one another. There will be differences and disagreements. It is imperative to remember that the shared values of liberty, economic freedom, justice, the pursuit of happiness, equality and perhaps most importantly, morality and truth form the permanent foundation that will lead to victory. Indeed we must never lose sight that we stand on the moral high ground and treasure truth as our ultimate guide, and weapon.


Acknowledging and cherishing our shared values is fundamental and will keep the movement alive. But to make the movement effective and durable there must be more. I recently have seen mounting frustration and discouragement creeping into the mindset of local patriots. For our efforts to succeed, persistence and optimism must prevail. America did not suddenly fall into this leftist abyss and we will not emerge from it overnight. The virtues of patience, determination and community must be added to our list of indispensable shared values. We will not win all skirmishes and battles but we will ultimately win this war, if only we support one another and persevere.
Let’s recall some key moments in the history of our country when citizens holding true to these virtues and values for guidance and inspiration have prevailed against great odds.


The American Revolutionaries were vastly outnumbered, both militarily and culturally. The British were better prepared, better supplied and better trained. On the home front, history tells us that only 1/3 of all colonists supported the revolutionaries, 1/3 opposed them and 1/3 was uncommitted. In the early stages of the war, the Continental Army was besieged by a lack of funds, arms and manpower. In battle, defeats were far more common than victories. But, under the leadership of General Washington, they bide their time, carefully chose their battles, believed in the rightness of their cause, trusted in themselves and in their faith, and eventually won their freedom.
In the civil war, the North was soundly defeated in the early stages of the conflict. The northern soldiers were capable and strong, but their leadership was weak. However, through the long years of agonizing death, destruction and loss, they never gave in to weakness, despair and fear. Under the leadership of Lincoln, they persevered, found generals who knew how to win, freed the slaves, and saved the Union.


In World War II, the United States was unprepared for war and suffered defeat after defeat for many long months after the brutal losses suffered at Pearl Harbor. Once again, those brave Americans believed in their cause and refused to give up. Under the leadership of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, MacArthur and so many more, the unconditional surrender of the evil Axis powers was finally achieved.


So now is the time to join the fight. Don’t offer excuses or surrender to frustrations and setbacks. It is a time to choose our leaders and to pick our battles. If a skirmish is lost, regroup, recover; rejoin the fight wiser and more determined than ever. When a battle is won, give thanks and praise; rejoice in our hard earned victory. If we remain united, determined, patient and fierce we will not just stop the madness, but will joyfully take part in the decisive victory and bask in the re-birth of the American Dream.