“Half a century ago, Ronald Reagan, the man whose relentless optimism inspired me to enter politics, famously said that he didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the party left him. I can certainly relate. I didn’t leave the Republican Party; it left me.” — Charlie Crist
The Feeling of Abandonment
When I entered politics in the late 1990s, I believed I was stepping into an ongoing relay of principles and traditions—an unbroken line of those who cherished liberty, personal responsibility, and constitutional order. The causes I stood for then, I still stand for today. Yet, looking back, I see not only how the Republican Party has changed, but how the cultural ground beneath all our feet has shifted.
The party didn’t just leave me; it feels as if the country itself has wandered away, forgetting the deep roots that once anchored communities, conversations, and consciences.
The Culture War: Shifting Goalposts and Lost Roots
In those earlier years, people may have disagreed—sometimes sharply—but there was a shared language of citizenship. Today, the goalposts have moved so far that the field is almost unrecognizable. Most people aren’t even interested in politics, let alone engaged. Communities, once grounded in common purpose, now drift, untethered by tradition or shared understanding.
This loss didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of decades of neglected responsibilities. We have failed to fight the small battles—failed to educate, to debate, to uphold standards, to confront creeping cultural and moral decay.
“The man who refuses to fight his battles ends up fighting them all in the end.” — Alexander the Great
Like snow rolling down a hill, these unaddressed issues have grown into an avalanche. Tiny, tolerable cuts—each dismissed as minor—add up to a wound that cannot heal. Our national debt, our public morality, our trust in institutions, and our capacity for honest dialogue have reached a point of crisis, perhaps even the point of no return.
Death by a Thousand Cuts: The Price of Avoidance
We must face the hard truth:
We have no one to blame but ourselves. In a republic, citizenship is a calling, not a spectator sport. Each person, in their own sphere, is meant to act as a kind of philosopher king—a guardian of virtue and liberty.
We have shirked that responsibility, unconsciously handing over our duty, our agency, and our morality to others. The result is a slow, almost imperceptible, descent—one that the ancient Israelites experienced as well:
In the days of Samuel, the people, tired of the “old ways” and seduced by the examples of surrounding nations, cried out for a king, despite the warnings of both Samuel and God Himself. This is the “Samuel principle”: — when people demand comfort, security, or expediency from government, they trade away their liberty and self-government, often without realizing the cost until it’s too late.
Culture Shapes Politics: Downstream Consequences
“Politics is downstream from culture.” — Andrew Breitbart
The decline of a nation rarely begins in its capitol buildings. It begins in its homes, its classrooms, its pulpits, and its daily conversations. When culture is neglected, the laws and leaders it produces cannot compensate. What we tolerate, we invite.
“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.” — John Wesley
We have tolerated corruption, decadence, and apathy—now we are reaping what we have sown.
“The truth is not always the same as the majority decision.” — Plato
Democracy (in the Republic) without virtue is not a safeguard against error; it can become a vehicle for it. If a majority is ignorant or misled, they can vote away their own freedom. That is why a nation must be rooted in timeless principles, not passing fashions.
Defending Liberty: The Enduring Mission
“When we defend liberty, we are defending ourselves, our families, our land, and our property.” — Frédéric Bastiat
Since the 1990s, I have fought to defend liberty alongside a small, dedicated band of patriots. Yet it often feels as if both party and country have left us behind—like watchmen on the walls, warning of danger while most are distracted or asleep.
“It’s so unfortunate that so many . . . are so preoccupied with the daily affairs and pleasures of this temporary world that many of us go through mortality as if this earth were a playground rather than the battleground it really is.” — Steven A. Cramer
Modern society is addicted to comfort—caught up in a “dopamine nation” of distraction, pleasure-seeking, and superficiality. The playground mentality has replaced the battleground mindset. Meanwhile, the few who resist—who stand guard—are mocked and marginalized, bearing the burden like Atlas with the world on his shoulders.
The Matrix and the System: The Tragedy of Mass Conformity
“The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.” — Morpheus, The Matrix
Like the characters in The Matrix, many Americans are so inured, so dependent on the system that enslaves them, that they will defend it against those trying to set them free. Truth, virtue, liberty—these are seen as threats, not treasures.
The Call to Responsibility
We are living through the consequences of decades of avoidance—death by a thousand cuts, a snowball of neglected responsibilities. The party may have left us, the culture may have shifted, but the timeless duty remains: Stand for truth. Defend liberty. Teach and model virtue. Fight the small battles—because when enough are lost, the big battle will come, and it may be too late.
Let us heed the warnings of history, philosophy, and faith. Let us reclaim the mission of citizen-philosopher, watchman, and patriot—not for a party, but for our children, our communities, and the enduring cause of freedom.
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