Publisher’s Point: Does The Red Tide Have What It Takes To Get The Job Done?
Without a doubt, the results of the recent election were stunning, and history was made on a number of fronts. The term “Red State” is no longer a joke, and the tide has turned in the favor of Conservative Constitutionalists. Former combat vet Joni Ernst became the first female to be elected to the Senate, representing the State of Iowa. Mia Love became the first Conservative black woman to be elected to Congress, ever. Shelley Moore Capito became the first female Congresswoman from Virginia, and is a Republican. Elise Stefanik, who is only 30, and is a Republican, became the youngest Congresswoman in US History. She is from the State of New York. For the very first time in history, Congress will have 100 female representatives.
There is much more to note, however, than just the fact that the gals seem to be having their day. Senator Harry Reid is no longer Senate Majority Leader. Tim Scott, who is African American and a Republican, became the first black Senator to be elected since Reconstruction. He is also the only African American in the history of our country to have been elected to both the House and the Senate.
In the State of Alabama, we voted to protect ourselves from “foreign law.” That means, we as Alabamians are able to make our laws based on the Constitution alone. What a concept! We also voted for Open Carry, which 100 years ago would have not been considered necessary to even appear on a ballot. In Alabama, the 2nd Amendment is actually functional.
Nationally, Republicans are now in the majority in both the House and Senate, and the question is, what will they do with the shift in their favor? Will they blow it again like they did in 2006?
Make no mistake, I am heartened by what happened on November 4th, but I am also highly skeptical that Republicans will grow enough of a spine to begin to help America get back on a Constitutional Foundation. If they could stand tall as Conservatives, be confident in their identity as people who have compassion as well as common sense, and stick to the premise that in Washington, DC, “less is more,” when it comes to government intervention, some of the negative legislative trends we have seen recently may actually be able to be reversed. Time will tell, and I am indeed hoping for the best.
We don’t deserve this chance. So many chances have been squandered, and opportunities to truly stand for God and country without apology have been wasted. But then, it just might be that we may have been gifted with a last hurrah.
Either way, whatever happens, our only hope is to remember that if we are going to have a snowball’s chance in a very hot place of avoiding a cultural collapse, our hope does not lie in a political party, history making elections or whether we have insulated ourselves, for the moment, from being subjected to Sharia law. Our hope lies only in repentance, humility before our Maker, and turning from corporate and individual corruption. I think often about the fact that as Jeremiah says “If it had not been for His mercies, we would have been utterly consumed.” If we are going to be consumed by anything, may it be by the Fire that is truly friendly, whose heat is only meant for our good. And may we be set on fire, to give comforting warmth and light in a very cold and dark night.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner