BOHICA
(A message to my fellow Republicans)
by Jim Cathcart
In the corporal punishment days of high school we were required to bend over, place our hands on our knees and "take it" when the school officials administered punishment with a paddle. Judgement was swift and the sting of the paddle unavoidable. That pretty well kept the students in line. Negotiation was futile. "Justice" was inevitable. So we behaved ourselves, mostly.
On those occasions when we did misbehave, as soon as we were caught, our mantra was "BOHICA- Bend Over Here It Comes Again."
Well, my fellow Republicans, BOHICA!
We've lost the Senate and the House as well as many Statehouses. We've allowed our Democrat classmates to goad us into spending and defending (our actions) much to our own detriment. We've let them spread lies about us without challenge while they wallowed in the media for so long that folks have come to believe them.
Here we stand, the protectors of our Republic, and we have deserted our post. By caving in to their pressure for more government "solutions", we have abandoned the cause of personal liberty. Independence only comes from the capacity for SELF-reliance. We know that. Self-reliance cannot be provided via government. It is the abscence of governmental involvement that stimulates people to find their own solutions. Nobody ever became stronger by paying someone else to do their push-ups for them.
Somebody has to behave like a grown-up. It ought to be us. There must be some requests to which our answer is firmly "No!" When we refuse to say "No" to people, we raise spoiled, dependent, whining brats who demand more and more without ever taking care of themselves.
Ours needs to be the party with a spine. "Bi-partisanship" has created a monster this time. Of course, we have to cooperate and collaborate and compromise, but not as our Main Strategy! The main focus must always be toward producing a self-reliant electorate, not just a grateful one.
Yes, we have abandoned our Conservative base and in so doing we lost the leadership of our country. We lost because we didn't lead. We tried instead to appease the Democrats seeking more programs. Haven't we already learned that lesson elsewhere?
We are the party for: Less government, fewer taxes, strong national defense and a belief in the capacity of normal human beings to solve most of their own problems. That is who we are.
Entitlement junkies cannot be appeased. Instead they must be disempowered. Take away their access to the cookie jar and stop giving them cookies. Show them a better way! A way that lasts.
Republican party, I miss you. I miss your clarity of mission, your courage, your willingness to take the heat and get the job done. Please come back to the light. And, for now, BOHICA, bend over here it comes again.