Permission To Speak – Opinion

“My best friend texted me last year to tell me she could no longer be my friend because I am a conservative and that basically means I’m an insurrectionist.”

“I haven’t seen my adult children in four years. They say FAUX NEWS has brainwashed me and I’m a racist and a homophobe because I voted for Trump.”

“My brother doesn’t want anything to do with my family anymore because we refused to take the COVID vaccine. He says we’re heartless QANON morons.”

These statements were variations on things that I’ve heard from my friends over the last few years. If you’re a conservative, chances are at some point in the last two years, someone you are close with felt it entirely appropriate to shame you, ostracize you, and condemn your value as a human being because of a vote you cast or a political opinion you held. Progressive religious fanatics might have rejoiced at the huge 2020 political victories. But they are becoming more harsh and judgmental. It’s almost as if they didn’t win anything at all.

Progressives are not content to bask in victory but wage a cultural war against the rest of America. This includes their liberal counterparts. It was one thing when it was just conservatives being “cancelled” for conservative views. Now liberals and other leftists find themselves on the cultural chopping block for the tiniest, vaguest of offenses, like simply suggesting free speech is a right, or even just ‘liking’ a post the progressive mob does not condone. Both students and professors have faced exclusion on campus for questioning progressivism. Bret Weinstein was fired from his job and may have lost his life for asking students to not be rejected on campus because of the colour of their skin.

There seems to be no safety anymore. They have taken over the streets and social media. They are all over the place. The snitching-brigade is waiting for you if your move is wrong. You can quickly lose your friends, family, job, and reputation if one person decides that you have violated church doctrine.

This new reality is causing a chilling silence for many Americans. Many people don’t feel free to join political conversations happening around them. These people fear being excluded or worse.

I recently had a conversation with a college-aged friend, in which he confessed being away at school and witnessing progressive chaos there has only made him more right-leaning, but that he didn’t feel confident to offer many rebuttals. Although he said that his primary tactic was to keep his business in his own hands and allow others to ramble, he now feels the need to be more vocal.

I advised him to exercise discernment about the places and times he shares his opinions. The industry he is studying will demand a nuanced approach when it comes to dealing with politics and business, and sometimes, sadly, it simply isn’t “safe” to participate.

Another thing that I said to him was that he would know when it is his time to be heard. He’ll feel it in his belly, and when it happens, he will need to be willing to accept whatever consequences come with the truth.

Some people are not able to be a pundit in training. Many people don’t feel comfortable speaking up about politics. It is perfectly acceptable to do so in this environment. There is no need to feel embarrassed about not taking on this risk.

If you are able to think of it, I can offer some support.

Sometimes, many times, when you take the risk to be vulnerable with your opinions, you’ll find that some people around you will thank you, and follow suit. While most people do not consider themselves to be natural leaders or progressives, many aren’t. Right now, the lunatics run the asylum, and the rest of us feel like we’re all alone in our estimation that they are absolutely insane.

When you’re brave enough to step out in front once in a while, you will be shocked to find how many sane people are standing right next to you.

All they need is permission to talk, and you can grant that permission.

I quit masking during COVID’s peak. It was like someone had lied to me. It was something I didn’t like, and I am sure many others did. It was something I refused to wear in stores and I said no, if asked I would leave. I wasn’t trying to cause a scene, I was just…to put it bluntly…sick of this sh**. As I stood in line for payment at the grocery store one day, the young lady in front of my noticed that my face was unmasked. It was as if I was going to be getting an earful.

The young woman turned around and took off her mask. Her desire to be completely free was all she required.

If you feel the urge, you should take that chance and allow others to do so. You’ll be surprised to see how many allies you have around you. It’s part of the reason they want to scare us into silence. If we can’t identify our “brethren,” we can’t unite.

Given permission to speak.

Have fun with your crazy children.