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In a conversation with a colleague recently, he queried, “How did California get into this mess, this deep? Why is the only conservative bastion left down in San Diego?” I responded “Apathy. Complacency.”
It reminded me of an old analogy. If you toss a frog into a pot of boiling water – he’ll jump out instantly. However, put that frog into a pot of cold water and slowly start raising the temperature and he’ll never notice. He’ll actually boil to death.
That’s what has happened in California – and likely in other deeply blue states. No one has ever flipped the switch. This has occurred slowly over the course of my life. And as we accept little signs of crazy, it’s the camel’s nose under the tent. Once you’ve accepted a little crazy, big crazy isn’t far behind.
“Evil triumphs when good people do nothing.” The author of that quote is in question. It doesn’t matter who said it. He/she was correct. I’m not calling Democrats evil; nor am I calling those who laud California’s liberal policies evil. But I do think that when conservatives don’t speak up, when we let the government decide what is best for us, when we say “it’s not THAT bad”… that complacency has long-lasting effects.
Well, we’re experiencing it right now, aren’t we? As the water heats up, people start to leap out of the pot.
Let’s look at a few examples.
ImmigrationWe used to be hesitant about hiring undocumented workers as housekeepers or gardeners in the past. Most people didn’t even ask about their status. (Okay, there aren’t that many, and at least they are doing a needed job. They work hard. Immigrants are now entitled to more benefits than Californians. Free health care and college tuition are available to them. You aren’t even ALLOWED to ask their immigration status (ask the police about that!)
Crime: It started with the Three Strikes Rule — someone who commits a crime doesn’t really have to face the consequences unless they do it three times. We are giving them the chance to change their lives before penalizing. We have too many prisons. Now, at least in Contra Costa County, the criminal is entitled to your possessions if they “need it more than you do.” And it’s not actually a crime unless the value is more than $800. Security is posted at doors of stores like Apple but solely as a deterrence; the “hired guns” are not allowed to stop the smash and grabs or pursue the shoplifters. So, thugs don’t even run anymore – they grab the merchandise, fill their bags and brazenly strut out onto the streets into waiting cars.
Just last week, Walgreen’s announced it would close five stores in San Francisco due to crime. This is unacceptable. Businesses that are good for the community are shutting down instead of being tough on crime. This isn’t just lost revenue for the business, it’s a lost resource for the surrounding neighborhoods; it’s lost jobs; and, it’s lost tax revenue for the city. All because we don’t have the cojones to say stealing is wrong and punish those who do it.
Do you know that now in San Francisco there are so many car break-ins that, if your car is broken into and something is stolen the response is not, “That’s horrible. It’s a serious violation of privacy. I hope they catch the guy”? It’s, “You should know better. Never leave anything in your car.” It’s gotten to the point where it’s YOUR fault if your car gets broken into!
Do you use drugs? It started with designating certain areas of San Francisco as “safe” drug zones. (Well, I guess that’s okay, right? You can keep them together in one place. Next, we provided clean needles for drug users. Fast forward to the pandemic and we are putting them up in luxury hotels to get them off the streets…and still supplying them with free drug paraphernalia.
SexualityThe unisex bathroom was first created. (After all, a man may not actually “identify” as a man, right?) That was the norm. But now Legos ™ is rebranding their products to be gender-neutral. What makes colorful plastic bricks gender-specific? These bricks can be used by both boys and girls to build whatever they want. It’s up to the parents to help them build whatever they dream of (in whatever color or gender.) California recently passed a law that stipulates that all retail outlets must include gender-neutral sections for toys.
You will be surprised to learn that I was raised as a tomboy. For me to enjoy, my parents bought me a dumptruck or a GI Joe. My parents didn’t limit me to pink dolls or only buy things in the doll aisle. Are we going to have to regulate how shops display products?
And don’t get me started on gender pronouns. It is all the rage to include your preferred pronouns on your e-mail signatures now: she/her/hers, he/him/his…. If your name is Pat, Chris or both (flashback at the SNL skit in which no one knew what Pat was). And as someone who has a low voice, I’ve been called “Mr.” on a telephone call. They can be corrected easily. Now? Now, people are wanting to be referred to as “they!” My high school English teachers must be rolling over in their graves. “They” refers to more than one. So, unless you have multiple personalities, you aren’t a “they.” You can be an “it” if you aren’t sure if you are a him or a her. And if you don’t respect their pronouns, you are chastised or seen as rude and intolerant.
What is the secret to our success? It is called complacency. It’s too late. It is boiling hot and the frogs can’t stop jumping. But I don’t think it is boiling yet. It is not too late to get involved.
In May 1983, addressing the National Rifle Association’s Annual Members Banquet, President Ronald Reagan said:
“America is no stronger than its people – and that means you and me. Well, I believe in you, and I believe that if we work together, then one day we will say, ‘We fought the good fight. The race was won. We kept the faith.’ And to our children and our children’s children, we can say, ‘We did all that could be done in the brief time that was given us here on earth.’”
Some of us are tired of fighting. Our generation is like a slow-cooked frog. And if we don’t jump soon, the next generations will suffer.
Patty Deutsche, a native Californian and Reagan Administration alumna, is an unapologetic conservative. As a communications consultant, she is frustrated at having to watch her words so that people don’t feel offended The liberals who talk about speaking their “truth” and being their “authentic self” need to hear a few other “truths.” She can be reached at https://www.volterracomms.com/about.