Have You Been Thinking About Quitting? Me Too.
By Jay R. Taylor
I’m not talking about leaving a boring job. Not anything as inconsequential as that.
It has been a couple of months now, so I’m better able to describe what is going on in my head.
I feel like I’ve been played by the system, fooled into believing that my actions could result in even a minor change for the better. I don’t feel so much like a victim but more filled with a sense of being wounded somehow. Filled with disappointment. Feels like being part of a losing team again and again.
Maybe you are in that place too.
With the outcomes we saw last November, many have become disillusioned about the whole process, convinced it has been corrupted. And our courts, congresses, and councils won’t even discuss it.
With no hearings shedding light on what happened, I don’t hold much hope for change soon. I’m discouraged enough to wonder whether it was all worth it. The newsletter. My time and money. The calls and letters. Trying to get others engaged. Planning and attending rallies. Letters to the editor. And showing up to speak at public meetings. Why continue?
Yes, elections have consequences, as my friend Rod says over and over.
This is about detaching from political involvement, as many already have. The job performance of elected and appointed officials at the township, county, state, and federal levels brings regular disappointment. At my age, shouldn’t I be retired?
Words, Actions, and Outcomes
Smart people say we should look at the outcomes of government, not what the politicians say. I agree with them. And when I look around, I see an outgoing Republican majority that talked a good game but did little to protect our constitutional freedoms, families, and way of life.
Many important issues were not addressed while Republicans controlled the Michigan House and Senate and, for a while, the governor’s office. These supposed patriots didn’t bother to introduce legislation that provided basic protections, let alone debate or pass such laws.
Face it - we elected too many of the wrong people. And now that Democrats have all three branches of government, is it time to accept the consequences? Why carry on?
You may be asking yourself similar questions. As these things kept coming to mind, my response was to back away and not do anything.
Then came December.
One day, I took my granddaughter to her charter public preschool. I saw staff who cared about the kids. I also saw parents and grandparents giving their time to read stories to the children. It was the kind of nurturing, loving environment I thought had been driven out of our schools.
I later participated and spoke at an urban homesteading event in West Bloomfield. It was packed with people wanting to learn more about helping each other and protecting their families. These people were not about to accept the actions of uniparty leaders in Lansing and Washington, D.C., without challenge.
And then I read about our former President, a billionaire with so much to lose, staying in the fight despite the massive financial, legal, and criminal action spears being thrown at him. If he isn’t giving up, what does that say about those of us struggling with the question?
Keep What We Value
In my mind, there are things worth preserving.
Conservative author Russell Kirk always talked about keeping “the permanent things.” What are they? Freedom of speech? Gun owner rights? Protecting the unborn? Preventing an Article V Convention that might further erode our Constitution? Preserving the right to work in Michigan?
Eliminating the right of workers to decide whether they must pay dues or join a union would roll back years of work by Norman Hughes, Michigan Conservative Union, and other groups. That freedom became Michigan law only ten years ago, in 2013.
Should we try to protect our ability to work, play, and travel without officials requiring us to show our papers or take dangerous medicines? What about protecting physicians who risk losing their medical licenses because they speak out for us?
Indeed, these and other issues won’t be resolved unless people insist they be addressed.
Standing alone makes me feel unconnected and isolated. I can’t live that way.
Groups like Michigan Conservative Union, Michigan Conservative Coalition, Citizens United, Michigan for Vaccine Choice, Rescue Michigan, Oxford Grassroots, and many others are continuing the fight, with or without us. They enable us to get involved and multiply our voices.
If 30-year-old Joshua Schriver is willing to set aside his professional practice to serve Oakland County residents in the Lansing legislature, shouldn’t we be there for him and others like him?
My call to action, then, is to suggest that each of us pick one organization or another and offer to help them in some small way. Banding together will ensure our voices matter, and the outcomes for our kids, grandkids, and future generations will make all the effort worthwhile.
That is what I decided to do. Will I see you there?
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Contact Information for organizations mentioned:
Michigan Conservative Union https://michiganconservativeunion.org/pages/membership
Michigan Conservative Coalition https://michiganconservativecoalition.com/
Citizens United [email countycitizensunited@gmail.com]
Michigan for Vaccine Choice https://www.michiganvaccinechoice.org/
Coalition to Rescue Michigan https://rescuemichigan.com/
Oxford Grassroots [email jaytaylor9118@gmail.com]
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NOTE: The views in this commentary represent the work of the author, Jay R. Taylor, and are protected by The Fair Use Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: and do not necessarily reflect those of MCU Directors or Members.