I thought about adding this item to my ‘odds and ends’ last night but decided it was worth more in commentary than that.
At this time last year Jim Rutledge was a barely known contender for a U.S. Senate seat with little money, at least compared to eventual nominee Eric Wargotz. But he drew crowds wherever he spoke because he articulated a conservative message with the zeal and passion of a Pentecostal preacher. Instantly he became a TEA Party favorite, and it was a testament to their support that he drew 30 percent of the vote in a crowded field.
The other day he wrote a short treatise, which I’m reprinting here.
“Nail the Colors to the Mast!”
That is an old naval battle cry when the Captain determined that the ship will never surrender. In contrast, “To strike the colors” means to lower the flag in a clear sign of surrender. “Striking the colors” was an option that was usually kept open to salvage the lives of the men and save the ship from a watery grave. So nailing your colors to the mast meant that surrender was not an option. Colors that have been nailed to the ship’s main mast could not and would not be lowered in the heat of battle when all seemed lost. By giving the terse order “Nail the colors to the mast” the Captain was telling the men, “Today men we fight, and if we must, we die, For God and For Country. Today, by God’s Grace, you will fight like you never have before. Today, you will not be a prisoner of war. Today, you will not be a slave. Today, you are a warrior.”
Is today the day you will give the order, “nail the colors to the mast”?
To nail your flag to the mast, you must know what you believe and know where you stand.
So here is my flag. Here are my colors, bold and clear.
- The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God give every man and woman the right to live free from rulers who deprive them of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- The ruling political elites have violated the Laws of Nature and have abandoned their duty to secure our God-given liberties from tyranny, by, among other things, using government power:
- to steal the fruits of labor,
- to feed themselves with pensions and fete themselves with lavish parties;
- to give unfair market advantages to those who keep them in power;
- to demonize talent and entrepreneurship;
- to crush the virtues of work, property ownership, and religious charity;
- to destroy economic freedom and social mobility by nurturing a growing underclass who are consigned to a lifetime of dependence on the government.
- Western civilization moved people toward freedom and away from slavery and serfdom based on the Judeo-Christian ethic.
- Western civilization as informed by a Judeo-Christian ethic is our best hope for a society that can be both virtuous and free, albeit not perfect. Utopia is folly.
I am nailing my colors to the mast. How about you?
If you read through the items they serve as an indictment of the system we have now.
First of all, as a society we have forgotten that we the governed are supposed to give our consent to those who govern us. Sure, we dutifully elect our political leaders every two to four years but that lack of vigilance in the interregnum has led to the state within which we exist. And what of the unelected bureaucrats who pass regulations without so much as a cursory check from our elected leaders – or worse, their assent?
It leads to the six subpoints which make up the second charge of government power leading towards ‘tyranny.’ Just look at what the current administration has done in the 30-plus months they’ve been in charge. The TEA Party was a natural reaction to the very thought we were being led in that direction and as time went on it became more and more obvious we were indeed on a path toward an all-encompassing state.
And then Jim discusses a clash of cultures – the elites who forty years ago were chanting, ” hey hey, ho ho, Western Civ has got to go!” have pretty much succeeded in their task of eliminating the concept. Now we have the political correctness of all cultures being of equal value, even if they are stuck in the seventh century and treat women as little more than property. “If it feels good, do it” seems to be the new national motto, regardless of the eventual outcomes – in truth, any consequences and responsibilities are to be absolved and forgiven by the public at-large as opposed to a higher power.
Yet in his statement Rutledge is only paraphrasing what another great leader once said: “Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?” Yes, that was Ronald Reagan in 1975, just before he made his first run for President. Sadly, after Reagan left office the Republican Party has too often put up nominees composed of pale pastels rather than bold strokes of conservative governance at all levels of government.
Perhaps Jim has another run for office in him, too – maybe not in 2012, but perhaps 2014. Unlike the cookie-cooker mealy-mouthed politicians who couch their remarks to the lowest common voting denominator, Jim had a refreshing way of clearly stating his message. This is something to be emulated as today’s TEA Party leaders become tomorrow’s political candidates.
Once they win election – and they will – here’s hoping their colors stay nailed to the mast throughout their terms of office. Those on the left don’t have much trouble with adhering to the principle that bigger government is always better and power is all that matters because it’s easy and doesn’t require a whole lot of thought. Conversely, we need to continually convince the public of the benefits of liberty to be a stronger pull in the opposite direction.
Oh, and consider my colors nailed.
