I haven’t slept very well since last Wednesday…

Our country is facing one of its biggest challenges in decades. From censorship to domestic terror concerns, America is rattled to its core.

An actual attack on our Capitol building took place last week. This is something I would have considered unthinkable in our nation. I mean, sure… in Caracas, Venezuela, but not here… not in the United States of America.

We’re at a crossroads unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. The coming days, weeks, and months will prove critical. We must preserve our democracy… our country… and our freedom.

I’ll never be OK with the use of violence to justify a political outcome. I’m a real conservative in that way… just like I didn’t condone the 2020 violence from Antifa or BLM activities. Looting and rioting are not the answer.

I believe in law and order. It is only through a proper legal framework (the U.S. Constitution) that we can resolve our differences. Most importantly, when the courts – in this case, the Supreme Court – make a decision, we must recognize it. Otherwise, why even have the courts if mobs can rule the day?

Unfortunately, the Left has effectively been handed a massive political opportunity and has the so-called “cover” it needs to push a liberal agenda… an agenda designed to help it grow its base and extinguish competition.

Even our friend and contributor here at American Consequences, former Texas Congressman and noted civil liberties champion, Ron Paul was targeted by Big Tech this week. (For what it’s worth, Ron Paul is actually a noted Trump critic.) Big Tech shut off access to his Facebook account earlier in the week with no explanation… no citation of an offending post. He was, effectively, censored for no reason.

If Ron Paul – who advocates for a strong economy and middle class through a return to the gold standard – can be shut off, what about the rest of us?

It’s a crucial question, one that I dug into both with Ron himself… and with my esteemed colleague, the celebrated free-thinker, writer, and Editor in Chief of American Consequences P.J. O’Rourke.

I joked with P.J. that our conversation felt, in some ways, therapeutic. The two of us poured through all of your questions and it was so helpful to understand what you’re thinking. Thank you for that and please keep them coming.

Bottom line, it was clear to me that so many of you who, (like me) had supported much of the Trump administration’s policy efforts and appreciated at times (though certainly not always) his candor when dealing with the criticism from the liberal media, are very disappointed.

We all want to see the success of our great nation for the sake of ourselves and future generations. So, with that in mind, now what?

After all, won’t driving the conservatives underground through de-platforming efforts just embolden them more?

Why does the Left want to create a so-called martyr out of the president? And hasn’t the answer to “bad” speech always been “more speech?”

That’s part of what differentiates the U.S. from the rest of the world. In Uganda right now, they’re holding “elections” with a dictator that has already been in charge for 35 years. Twitter, the social media giant that just permanently banned the current president of the United States, just issued a statement urging freedom of speech in Uganda.

So which is it? Ron Paul says the government and Big Tech have become the same entity and corporations are running the world. P.J. and I agree that while there cannot be militias and hate-groups looking for violent uprisings formed online, we also need to do all we can to protect our first amendment rights.

Trish Regan, American Consequences