This is Day 297 of the First Ohio Shutdown and Day 57 of Ohio’s 21-day WuFlu Curfew.
Deb and I are fine today.
Ernie began drawing our time and attention again yesterday. A friend and former customer of ours came to Second Chance Ranch mid-morning to see if the lock on the entry door could be re-keyed to match our house. It couldn’t, he decided, and the cylinder wasn’t a candidate for replacement, either.
It was a good thought, anyway. We had him cut us a few spare keys for the lock, since we only had one.
While he was here, we discussed how best to add electronic security to the coach. Since we had a brand-new system panel laying around, it’d be a simple matter of a few wireless peripherals — a door contact, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a temp sensor, maybe a motion detector. He left with a list — oddly enough, for the shop that fired Deb and me last year — and will return soon to install and program the setup.
Later in the day we had a second visitor, also a friend and former customer, who mounted the first of two inexpensive “smart” TVs. For this one, situated in the bedroom, he’d fabricated a custom mount that transformed the TV shelf (which previously held a massive 60-pound CRT-type monitor) into an enclosed cabinet. Slick, and brilliant.
So we shaved maybe 50 pounds, gained precious storage and have a more capable TV — that’s a genuine trifecta. He’ll be back within the next couple of weeks to mount an identical unit in the front of the coach.
Again, we don’t need reminding that “This ain’t campin’.” Whatever. We love it.
With true Americans facing The Purge and all that it means for us, our children and our country, there’s been lots of talk about how we should respond. The operative question is, “Where do we go from here?”
And a very good question it is. The forces of the Left are arrayed against us, seeking to define everything from how we live to what we say, imagining they can control what we think. (Or, as woke jokers say, reimagining.)
For some time now, Dan Bongino has been exhorting his fellow right-thinkers, “We have to create a parallel economy.” That’s especially relevant to him now, since he’s an investor in Parler, and it’s an important part of the answer for all of us.
But it’s only one part of the solution. Our response to the wholesale siege of Americanism must address more than economics, finance and commerce — we must create an entire parallel culture that neither defers to nor owes The New Totalitarianism and its sycophants.
On a foundation of traditional American values we have to build communities, governance, investing, commerce, communication, media, education, technology, transportation — everything, leveraging Liberty to establish The Real America independent from The Fundamentally Transformed America that will engulf us if we don’t.
We have the talent, the capital and the ability to do this — all we need is commitment, enough Patriots willing to act in the best interest of our country.
We don’t have much time. We’d better get busy.
The worst argument against impeaching Trump (which happened yesterday in the House) and removing him from office (which may happen in the Senate before next Wednesday) is that “it further divides the country.” That comes from the Rodney King Caucus, of course, the can’t-we-all-just-get-along crowd addicted to the illusion of unity.
While the current climate certainly could become more strident, I’m pretty sure that America can’t get any more divided. The lines are drawn, starkly.
“There’s a feeling that unity is always preferable to division, that every peace is better than any strife.”
In March of 1775, Patrick Henry — the subject of a future “flashback” here on Ubi Libertas blog — faced similar denial from the Virginia establishment:
“It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. … The war is inevitable — and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter.”
There’s a feeling — and that’s what it is, a feeling — that unity is always preferable to division, that every peace is better than any strife. I’ve written about that here recently, opposing the mindless pursuit of unity and celebrating natural division.
An honest conflict beats a false accord — every time.
Here’s a pro tip: No one, least of all me, cares how tired you are of the friction, the antagonism, the clear-at-last division in our country. You’re on the battlefield whether you like it or not. Suck it up, choose a side and fight.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
