At BlogCon in Dallas, many of us had the unique opportunity of being in the studio audience for two tapings of the Glenn Beck show at TheBlaze Studios. During a panel discussion on the harassment and intimidation faced by conservative bloggers, Glenn challenged us.
First, he asked how many of us faced intimidation and threats or worried about our personal safety. Most of the hands went up, including mine. Then he asked us why we continue to do what we do. While I got an opportunity to describe the death threats I've received, I didn't get a chance to really answer the question.
It can be really hard to do what we do. I've received many death threats over the years, and what I've faced pales in comparison to what some of my blogger friends have endured. And when you have the Eye of Sauron on you because you've done something to attract the attention of the leftist collective, you can be subjected to coordinated smear campaigns that you never dreamed possible. It can be intimidating, and it can scare you into quitting.
So why go on? Why keep pressing forward, knowing that the more effective you can be at exposing the truth, the worse it will get? There are several reasons:
A. I have a visceral reaction to someone who peddles BS as a way of life.
I was completely uninvolved in politics until the Tea Party movement started in 2009. I can't stand politicians. And the more I get involved as county party chair, tea party organizer, blogger and new media consultant, the more I'm exposed to how sleazy they all are. But every time I discover someone who lies, cheats, harasses, or abuses their position, I feel like it's my duty to expose that. We citizens deserve to know who's worthy of our vote and trust, and who isn't.
B. I have two kids who are going to grow up in a vastly different America than I did, if I don't do something.
My heart weeps for what my children will face in their adulthood when attempting to access health care under Obamacare. I know based on historical precedent that their job prospects will be severely altered because of the immoral amount of debt being added every day, which will hamper the economy for decades. I can't imagine how few liberties they'll be able to enjoy because of a runaway government that is growing at an unchecked rate. I can't sit idly by and just let this happen.
C. It can be a helluva lot of fun.
Every single time they target you or you uncover yet another lie or sleazy backroom deal, you get the opportunity to use the controversy that it stirs up to make your point. We all know the legacy media isn't going to report our stories, even when we beat them over the head with them. So when you have that moment of opportunity where you're in the perfect point in time to make the news as you are reporting it, use it. When the media folks fail to notice, call them out. When they report it properly, give them kudos. And always, always, ALWAYS know that you have the truth and the facts on your side - armed thusly, you cannot fail. Even when you're targeted with an op/ed campaign, that's another opportunity. Your points will get across. Use their hatred of the truth against them. Always be willing to give a quote to reporters you know are against you, because whatever they may say about you in their column, they look like the petty little tyrants if they dare to misquote you. If they don't misquote you, you've done your job by getting the point across - not to the reporter, but to his or her audience. Every time they lash out, use the occasion to punch back with the truth. It always wins, eventually.
So yes, I am strongly motivated to keep moving forward and to keep uncovering the truth that the statists constantly seek to bury. Somebody has to...