Regardless of whether or not President Trump pulls out this election, America has won. Republicans will likely hold the Senate. They’ll likely gain seats in the House. Democrats may not pick up a single state legislature in a redistricting year. The radical leftist agenda will be dead on arrival. Would it be better if Trump wins? Of course. But he performed his duty, and during an unprecedented time in modern American history.
The past six months have not been about politics alone. In certain respects, they’ve been about good and evil, and which would triumph and by what means. As imperfectly as humanly possible, Trump stood on the side of good. He opposed the rioting and stood against mob rule. He halted the toppling of statues and the rewriting of American history. He backed law enforcement when they were under assault and refused to cow to accusations of systemic American racism.
There were serious questions this summer.
Could people seize power by lying about American history, institutions and values? Could they browbeat people into conformity rather than persuade? Could they rewrite history in the pages of prestigious newspapers, tear down statues in mob-stricken streets, restrict speech in the media, and coerce corporations into political compliance?
Trump may lose his election, but he fought fearlessly for the winning values. The preservation of these values is more important than the presidency, and it required victory in Congress and in legislatures across the land. This victory has been won. Americans owe Donald Trump a debt of gratitude. A lesser president would’ve caved to the pressure. And that concession would’ve meant Americans might’ve come to believe that their country was evil, their institutions racist and their values oppressive. Instead, these ideas were defeated decisively at the ballot box.
Americans have demonstrated that they will not be intimidated into conformity with the lie that their nation stands for racism and oppression. They will not be browbeat into denouncing law enforcement while rioters burn decent society to the ground. They will not enable a political faction that does not believe in individualism or equality of opportunity. And they will not submit to tyrants who would eliminate checks and balances to impose a radical, unpopular and morally-despicable political agenda.
The country has been up against it for months. It appeared that a major party, possessed by a minority faction of dangerous radicals, might establish one-party rule at the federal level, eliminate checks and balances and impose its political agenda from the top down.
Over the summer it seemed Americans were losing the battle. Perhaps we could be defeated by radical leftists who slapped the brand of racism on any person or institution that refused to kowtow to its agenda. Corporations caved. Public figures acquiesced. Decent people were swallowed up by mobs of violent rioters who took pleasure in destruction for its own sake.
It seemed that children would be taught in school that their country was innately evil and systemically oppressive; Americans would be convinced that their country was actively conspiring to keep them down because of their race; and perhaps the country could be lost to people who believe that injustice yesterday is solved by injustice today and injustice today by injustice tomorrow.
Though our journalists, universities, corporations, sports leagues, and public figures conspired in favor of this narrative, these ideas have been repudiated nationwide.
As it turns out, Americans of all races, religions and beliefs are individuals who demand to be treated as such. They want robust debate and freedom of speech in pursuit of the truth. They won’t cave to the mob. And they won’t grant power to weak people who enable it when convenient for political gain.
One of the things that makes the United States a uniquely special wrinkle in time is that it is among the only countries in world history in which good consistently prevails over evil.
For months the radical left lied about the “mostly” peaceful protests. They accused their political opponents of being personally responsible for the deaths of Americans. They said that support for law enforcement officers and belief in the goodness of America was akin to white supremacy. They tried to destroy the lives and careers of those who refused to be cowed.
Then Americans did the most American thing possible: they voted for divided government to ensure individual liberties are not trampled in pursuit of collective aims. And their votes were a direct repudiation of those who had aligned themselves against the values of the country.
Americans have for now staved off the predations of the radical leftists. Republicans and Democrats together have won in this. Violence will not yet prevail over speech. Collectivism will not yet prevail over individual freedom. And Americans will not be divided into racial or gender groups and taught that we’re more different than alike.
Those who spent the summer and fall fighting what seemed to be a losing battle against the radical leftists ought to rest for a brief moment to be proud of their country. From here, we should only grow more united against an ideology which aims to tear us apart.
America has won.
(Photo: Flickr/Dennis Sylvester Hurd/CC BY 2.0)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Heroes Media Group
