As a kid, I grew up hearing the phrases, “Suck it up!”  “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.”  “You’re tough… now go and beat whatever problem you’re facing.”  Those phrases made me strong and imbibed a deep sense of responsibility in me that no matter what challenge confronted me in life, I could beat it.  I was stronger than life’s problems.  And if I didn’t know how to solve a problem, I was taught to seek out people wiser and older than me and ask their advice.

That was a defining difference between me and many other kids in my generation.  I’m a proud Gen Z’er, but many in my generation have found a convenient cop-out for their problems.  Whiteness.  Oppression.  Gender discrimination.  Wealth discrepancies caused by an oppressive government.  Toxic masculinity.  The list goes on.

After years of propaganda throughout K-12 and on into college… and then add some nice Critical Race Theory training in their corporate jobs, my generation has lost its sense of responsibility.

I was always taught to take ownership of the problems in my life, whether it was financial, a character flaw, or relational.  As soon as I seized the problem and looked it straight in the face, I was responsible for resolving it.

Was I perfect?  Not by any stretch of the imagination!

But this concept which my parents steadily and lovingly taught me growing up has transformed into something powerful and something that the left fears in conservatives.  I believe our country is responsible for the problems in it that negatively affect my life, and because I am an American, it is my job to face those problems head-on and do my best to combat them.

If We Want Our Freedoms, We Have To Maintain Them

I am responsible for maintaining my Second Amendment rights as an American citizen.  I am responsible for protecting my First Amendment free speech rights and my religious freedom.  I am the one who has to take charge and stop self censoring.  I have to be the one to stand up to the naysayers who say the country is too far gone – give up and try again next election.  I am the one who has to debunk the negativity that claims I am too young to care or do anything about the problems I see.

There is a quote that is frequently attributed to Edmund Burke that fits the purpose of this article perfectly.

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

The Power of a Movement

When true patriots (people of good conscience) speak up, it gives the Left pause.  Many patriots boycotted Twitter after the social media company banned President Trump from its platform, causing its stock to fall 6% in the first day after the ban.

This is an example of patriots making their voices heard, and Twitter experienced the consequences of its censorship.  As Joshua Lawson writes in The Federalist, “[…] platforms like Twitter need users to survive, not the other way around.”

The same goes for the American government.  “The United States exemplifies the revolutionary idea that governments exist to serve their people, not the other way around” (The Heritage Foundation).  If the government does not serve us in a way we see fit, it is ultimately our responsibility to change it by getting involved.

Adam Carolla Makes A Point

In Charlie Kirk’s recent interview with Adam Carolla, they discussed how to stop cancel culture.  Carolla made the point that it only takes a few people to start a movement.  He urged conservatives to band together and compared the Left to a pack of hyenas hunting a herd of gazelles [i.e. conservatives].  He said if we band together as a movement, we’d be “surprised at how many people are like minded but scared,” and by being the first one to make a splash, we will empower others “to step up.”

Carolla continued with the thought that if 100 restaurants defied the lockdowns in Los Angeles and opened their doors for one week, the next week, 500 more restaurants would be open.  But the first restaurants to take that giant step and defy lockdowns would take the most flak from the Left.  They would open the doors for freedom but possibly at the cost of their livelihoods.

Be a Mover & A Shaker

Are you a mover and a shaker?  Do you want to be the one to make a difference?  I’m sure you do.  I know I feel that way!

Whatever you do, it doesn’t have to be earth-shattering and make the national news.  In fact, it’s probably best if your actions don’t make national news!  By peacefully, boldly, and unapologetically standing for conservative, Christian values, you will stick out like a sore thumb.  You might get kicked out of class.  You might lose your job.  You might be harassed or hated.

Actually, it’s not a “might”.  It’s almost guaranteed.  But would it be worth it for freedom?

Patrick Henry’s famous line, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” was not a flippant “Eh… you know… if they actually come for my head, I’ll back down.”  He truly meant liberty was worth dying for.  At this point in America’s history, conservatives are not facing death for liberty.  But we are in the crucial fight right now to ensure Americans can have liberty for future generations.

Now is the time to stand unapologetically, shoulder the problems that were passed down to us, and boldly join the battle for freedom.  We can’t blame it on social problems or moan about how past generations have handed this mess down to us.

We grab the bull by the horns, as the old saying goes.  We are the new generation of conservatives, and we are bold.