A Note from a Childhood Friend
A Note from a Childhood Friend
By Chris Bevan: Richmond, Virginia
(friend since childhood of David Perry)
I never post about politics. Consider this my one exception…
I turned 18 a few months before the 1980 election. I voted for Ronald Reagan. Again in ’84. Then G.H.W. Bush in ’88 and ’92. W in 2000. You get the idea. I identified as a moderate Republican, embracing the ideals of limited government, low taxes, and a strong military. I’m a gun owner.
On social issues, I often diverged from my more strident conservative friends. For years, this was a common stance—half of what was once known as “The Middle” the other half being conservative Democrats.
These days, I’m a man without a party. I’m certainly not welcome in the Republican Party. In my experience, anyone who doesn’t fully support every stance taken by the leadership is branded with the absurd moniker “RINO”, which essentially means, “sorry, but your independent, critical, or objective thinking isn’t welcome here”.
I’ve watched in dismay as the party of Lincoln has been overtaken by fringe candidates, conspiracy theorists, and science deniers, while pushing out anyone willing to work across the aisle or not in lockstep with the most extreme positions. Even George Washington understood the importance of vaccinations, requiring them for the Continental Army in 1777.
I continue to be amazed by the unflinching willingness of people I know and respect to accept, rationalize, justify, and excuse this administration’s actions, no matter how egregious. You don’t need to be a historian to see similarities between our current state and past governments that have…ended badly.
I’m certain of one thing: 19 Republicans have held the presidency, and today, 17 of them are spinning in their graves. The man in office is neither traditionally Republican nor conservative. He panders to fundamentalist Christians yet seems far from Christ-like. His singular strategy is to polarize, vilify, demonize and incite. He rejects common ground, shuns our allies, embraces our enemies, and pursues petty vendettas against any perceived slight.
From my perspective, he is driven purely by his own giant, fragile ego, and is dangerously unaware of his own limitations. Our friends are confused and rightly concerned. Our economy teeters. Our enemies are gleeful.
This chaos isn’t accidental—it’s strategic. A firehose of misinformation and division floods the public sphere, overwhelming our ability to process it all. It’s the political equivalent of “shock and awe”, and it’s intentional.
I guess I suffer from “TDS”. (If you don’t know that one, Google it. Another gem designed to further the “us vs them” agenda and trivialize any push back.)
Anyway, I’m not here to change anyone’s mind. God knows that never happens on social media. Just wanted to let you know that if you’re out there, a centrist Republican or Democrat, you are not alone. There’s at least one other out here, praying that this ship gets righted before we find ourselves a nation alone, bankrupt, and at war with no friends or allies.
America’s downfall won’t come from a military attack by foreign enemies. It will come from its own citizens failing to protect this fragile democratic experiment—regardless of party or ideology.
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[I will now revert to my standard, boring feed. If you feel obliged to comment on this post, that’s fine. Just know that if anyone posts rude or shitty comments (left or right) I’ll delete them. I’m just venting here; I have no intention of debating or justifying my opinions. [My post, my rules.]
