With the ballots starting to drop and elections coming around, let’s come together as conservatives and do some meaningful work electing leaders who will fight for our values. Pride of place in any functioning democracy and at the heart of conservatism is open debate and the protection of free speech.
But we tend to often retreat to censoring those opinions and ideas that make us uncomfortable or make us question our thinking. Now more than ever, we need to have those tough conversations and hold weak conservative leadership accountable in our endeavor to actually reflect values we profess to uphold.
Free Speech is a Conservative Core Value
At its core, conservatism is about individual freedom, free speech, and that includes even the freedom of disagreeable opinions. Unfortunately, in our own conservative circles, there is an increasing trend to shut down speakers that might cause discomfort or controversy. That is a dangerous road, very similar to those very tactics we criticize from the left.
More harmful than that is the fact that by stifling debate and censoring viewpoints, we weaken our own position and drive off those who might otherwise be on our side.
The conservative movement is about ideas-challenging the status quo, debating what is best for our nation, and making sure principles of leaders are put into practice. Shutting down debate erodes not only our moral authority but creates an environment where poor leadership can exist unchecked. If we are going to be successful at saving the nation and California, we must foster open debate and hold our so-called “conservative” leadership accountable when they stray from the path.
Poor Leadership-The Accountability that Must be There
But perhaps our biggest problem is that of weak leadership within our own ranks. Too many of our party “leaders” and organizations, which purport to represent conservative values, have shown fear in confronting the issues that are tearing apart not only our nation but our state. Failing to address voter integrity, appeasing liberal policies on infrastructure, or caving on critical school-board issues, too many of these leaders are quite literally just not doing the work required to stand up for conservative principles.
This is why conservatives must be the loudest and most critical when it comes to accountability of those who say they represent us without actually doing so through their voting or legislative actions. We can’t afford to have so-called conservative leadership continuing to pander to liberal interests while the opposition gets mobilized, active, and dominates the conversation on social media and on the ground.
By avoiding the debate or failing to critique our leadership, we become accomplices to that which we say we are against. The opposition is mobilizing, attending events, and making their voices heard, while too many of our conservative leaders aren’t showing up, leaving voters and communities unrepresented.
RUSD and the Silencing of Conservative Voices
A glaring example of this lack of engagement can be seen in how we as conservatives allowed the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) to choose a new trustee without any significant response from parents or the community. This is a failure that directly impacts students, parent rights, the integrity of science-based education, and the very future of our schools.
How did it happen? Because we weren’t there. We didn’t show up. We didn’t speak up. Our silence ceded the room to others, and the decision was made without a real conservative voice in the conversation. We let the defining moment slip away, and now we are standing by watching as decisions are made detrimental to the values we hold dear.
Using Social Media for Change
If we’re going to turn the tide of direction of our local and state governments, it’s going to take more than just showing up at the polls. We must engage on every front, including social media. The opposition knows how to use these platforms to mobilize their base and promote their candidates, and it’s time we do the same.
We all can play a role in this effort. Liking, sharing, commenting, and tagging posts of conservative candidates widen their circle and build momentum. Little it may seem, but in these times, it is an important way to show support, create awareness, and dent the efforts of the opposition.
Social media is no longer just an outlet, it’s a battlefield of ideas, and it’s time we get into the game. Because each comment, share, and like has the potential to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people. If we are actually going to see these conservative candidates be successful, it is going to take all of us putting forth the effort to spread the word and stop allowing the left to dominate the narrative.
The Road Ahead
We are truly at a crossroads, and the decisions we make today will set in course the trajectory of not only our state but also our nation for decades to come. Let us not be afraid to have the tough conversations, challenge weak leadership, and hold ourselves and our leaders accountable to those conservative principles that make America strong.
It is time to act-not just at the ballot box, but in every arena where ideas are shared and debated. And as I continue to write on the decisions of the RUSD school board, the Riverside City Council, the Board of Supervisors, along with State and Federal Office Holders, and Legislation-let us do the work. For change can happen, but it takes our commitment to being the voice for the conservative movement and the future that will shape our communities.
We need to devise a strategy that is not limited to meetings and discussions, but one that would emerge in terms of action and results. We are fighting against an opponent that is well organized and established, using the offices for political leverage.
