“Mr. Speaker, Not This Time.”
Have you ever seen the 1976 movie, Network? In this satirical film, aging veteran news anchorman Howard Beale discovers that he's being let go from the network, and it makes him extremely angry. In fact, for a lack of a better phrase, he loses it, and understandably so. He’s given his best years to this network, and he believes he’s being treated unfairly. So, Beale launches into an angry, televised rant where he shares his ire and annoyance at the disappointing state of modern life, and he coins the phrase “I’m mad as h*ll, and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Since this time, this phrase has been repeatedly used to demonstrate the anger and powerlessness felt by an individual who feels s/he is out of options. For many conservatives including myself, this is a feeling that hits home every time the Left refers to us as bigots, racists, or sexists for not buying into their radical ideology.
For far too long, conservatives across the United States have quietly stood by or cowered in the corner while sycophantic, hypocritical Leftists hurled insults and attacked the motives of those with whom they disagree. Make no mistake, this has been a calculated strategy of the left for years so they can avoid discussing the merits of the issues by putting conservatives on the defensive – and it’s been a winning approach for them, too, because conservatives have been too scared to fight back by defending their positions. That is until recently…
Last week, Virginia Delegate Nick Freitas scolded Democrats for continually labeling those of us who oppose radical Leftist policies as bigots, racists, and sexists, after Del. Don Scott, Jr. said, among other things, that Governor Youngkin was not a Christian because of the policies he’s implemented since taking office. While I listened to Freitas’s impassioned remarks, I was immediately reminded of Howard Beale’s speech in Network, and in my mind, I was repeating his iconic phrase.
In case you missed it, here’s a snippet of what Freitas said:
“I’ve never gone on this floor and challenged the faith of an elected official because I disagreed with them on policy,” he said while speaking on the floor of the House of Delegates. “I’ve never gone on this floor, Mr. Speaker, and suggested that the other side of the aisle were racists … I’ve never suggested they were sexist because they didn’t agree with my particular policy positions. But I’m keeping a running tally so far of this session. … Almost every day, someone on the other side of the aisle either gets up and either subtly, or comes right out and suggests, that if you don’t agree with them on policy, then you’re not a Christian, you’re a sexist, you’re a bigot, you’re a racist. I'm tired of it. My constituents are tired of it, because when these claims are made, they're not just made about Governor Youngkin. They’re not just made against us. They’re made in part against the people that elected to send us here. If you’re going to question the faith or the intentions of anybody who happens to disagree with you on policy, then you don't get to lecture us on compassion, tolerance, or an open debate.”
Finally, someone had the guts to stand up to the bullies and tell them what most conservatives have been thinking for years, and we thank you, Del. Freitas for doing so.
Following the crushing defeat the Democrats received in Virginia last fall, it's no wonder Del. Scott was bent out of shape. After all, Republicans took control of the House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion, as well as two other important offices, the Attorney General, and the Lt. Governor, thus sending a clear message to liberals that their radical agenda is no longer welcome in the Commonwealth. So, as liberals have been programmed to do, Del. Scott took a page out of the smarmy, extremist playbook of the left by hurling insults at the newly elected Governor.
Since Del. Freitas has laid the groundwork for conservatives to speak up instead of always being on the defensive, maybe things will start changing so we can finally have productive debates surrounding the real issues that concern Virginians.
