Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Squeakers Needed!!!

The old adage, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” is true. The squeaky wheels have come in the form of special interest groups, complete with professional protesters, who have willingly made spectacles of themselves for the cause du jour for the past few decades, and it has been their causes which have received the most attention and legislation.

Think of the social or environmental changes over the past four decades, not those things which were prudent, such as the Civil Rights Act and regulating the sewage being dumped into our streams. But think of those changes which have been controversial, based on theory or racial/gender pandering, then think of the group movements and demonstrations meant to enlighten and shock us: pro-abortion groups, homosexual rights groups, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, animal rights groups, peace groups, and anarchist groups, though they usually demonstrate at the drop of a pin for any progressive cause, not simply for the cause of anarchy. These groups have been the squeaky wheels that have gotten the grease. Unfortunately, Americans who disagree haven’t taken the time or made the effort to fight fire with fire, certainly not in large enough numbers.

What would have happened years ago when the US Supreme Court took prayer out of classrooms had those 80+% of Americans who are Christians SQUEAKED in front of the White House or on the courthouse steps, rather than simply shaking their heads in disagreement? What would our society resemble now? It certainly wouldn’t resemble what it has become, a nation where children are discouraged from, or forbidden to, talk about God or the Bible in public schools; where teachers are reprimanded, sometimes even fired, if they speak of such things.

What would have happened if Americans against abortion on demand at any but the earliest stages of pregnancy had actually SQUEAKED instead of saying quietly, “Oh my, that’s just not right,” as more of the feminist agenda was implemented incrementally? The barbaric practice of partial birth abortion would be dead. We wouldn’t be horrified at the practice of injecting toxins into perfectly formed babies, needing only time to mature, to cause their death. Is finding more and more creative ways to kill babies really “progress”?

Where would our country be if parents had decided to fight fire with fire and SQUEAK until they could squeak no more when courts decided that, while thirteen year olds still need parental permission to get a tattoo, they should be considered adults when seeking an abortion?

I’ve often heard the phrase “slippery slope,” and looking back, it’s clear to see this slope is not a figment of an over-active imagination. Compare what we now consider acceptable entertainment on our television sets to what was considered acceptable decades ago. We’ve gone from finally allowing couples to kiss on television to showing nudity, barely concealed sex scenes, sometimes by homosexuals, cursing and watching people eat bull testicles swarming with maggots, and just about every other nasty thing a mind can conjure. Again, I ask, this is “progress”?

When I was young, I can remember thinking that allowing this or that on television wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything, even though it seemed to offend the older folks around me. I thought they were stuffed shirts, old fogies afraid to get with the times. Now that I’m older, I realize how completely wrong I was. It has hurt us, and it shows up in our society in many, many ways. Whenever the moral or social threshold, that which is considered acceptable, has been raised in this country, progressives have only pushed to move it yet again. And their progress has been remarkable considering their views don’t represent the majority of us. But they have been the squeaky wheel demanding the grease and the majority of Americans who are opposed have, in large part, remained silent.

Imagine what America would be like if millions of Americans, who disagreed with the various progressive causes, had taken the time to demonstrate and maybe even make spectacles of themselves if that is what it took to make their voices heard?

Would we have left Vietnam, which resulted in the slaughter of almost 3 million Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians and allowed communism to spread if those who thought our cause was just had SQUEAKED louder than those who did not?

Would we have a society where over-the-top homosexual activities carried out on floats in parades down Main Street, USA, is celebrated, if those Americans, instead of shaking their heads, had taken the time to SQUEAK loudly and persistently? I’m not talking a small group which is easily dismissed, ridiculed, vilified and their opinions minimized. I’m talking about the millions who find such things offensive. What would have happened if they all showed up?

Would we have an America where babies are routinely killed for nothing more than the convenience of the would-be mother if those who disagreed had taken the time to SQUEAK loudly instead of whispering, “What has the world come to” to family members and neighbors?

We’ll never know and it’s a shame, because I think we would have a better society had they, our parents and grandparents, taken the time.

I’m older now. I see things differently than I used to, and every chance I get, I squeak. I know many others do, too, but it seems we can never accomplish a squeakfest of the same magnitude as the progressives. If we’re ever to combat them with any efficiency, that has to change. We must learn to fight fire with fire. We must learn to become more outspoken and demanding, but more importantly, we must learn to make the time to simply SHOW UP to make our opinions known. I only hope we learn this before the anti-war crowds brainwash the American people into believing that the best course of action is to have our troops pack up and come home instead of confronting terrorists in the Middle East. Do we have it in us? Do we actually have what it takes? I pray every day that we do because I don't think I, or my children, can stomach more of this "progress." Squeakers are needed more than ever!