Will it Matter What Party a Tyrant is in?

Tyrant, a word that has been thrown around quite a bit over the years with too few understanding the exact meaning of it. Yes, all understand the dictionary meaning to be a cruel and oppressive ruler, but too often it is attached solely on the basis of disagreeing values and views.

Contrary to the claims of some, neither President Trump nor former President Obama were “tyrants,” in spite of far different views and governance style.

Understand too, we are embroiled in the midst of a somewhat cold civil war. Not shooting and imprisoning each other just yet, but an escalating war of ideals led by factions of fringe far left and far right, both of whom desire one party rule under their personal views.

It’s largely forgotten, or never learned that our founding fathers held differing views at the founding of our country and had some fairly harsh arguments while writing our constitution and Bill of Rights.

But they were able to rise above those differing views and write a constitution that has stood the test of time and served all of us very well as the founders wrote into the constitution the means to amend it to rectify issues and even denials of constitutional rights withheld to some citizens over the years.

And that area is where we are headed for trouble as left and right factions are ‘taking it to the streets’ and battling each other, both claiming to stand for law & order, but both violating our laws on peaceful assembly and protest, to the point of attacking each other physically.


And of course, each side blames the other for the escalation in violence while absolving themselves even though both show up prepared to do battle.

Too often spineless politicians sit back and ignore the violence, some even hampering the Police in controlling the mobs as we recently saw in Portland, Oregon when Antifa took over an intersection, harassing drivers while Police sat back.


This is not the America I grew up in nor is the America I served to defend in the U.S. Army, but it’s what we have become. And it’s getting worse.

More and more we hear cries of a country divided as feuding factions refuse to work together or seek common ground to resolve issues facing the nation. Any that suggest moderation are quickly shouted down with ridicule or smears, regardless of side.

And therein lies the big problem with both sides of this warming civil war the country is facing.

Should either side win they will want to hold on to their power, but to do so they would have to squelch any opposition as the other side will want to become the prevailing power, just as they are doing now and have shown their willingness to battle for control.

Neither side would be willing to peacefully submit to the other.

So to what lengths would the fringe far right or left resort to in order to maintain control and squelch resistance and revolution to take over?

Maybe that was the wisdom behind General Grant’s decision after the first civil war to allow the defeated Confederates to return to their homes with their dignity intact “with an individual parole pass certifying that the men would not take up arms against the United States” instead of being arrested and imprisoned.

Do you think either faction today would offer such a “parole” or whether the paroled side would honor it? I don’t envision either side offering or abiding by any offers of benevolence from the other.

Given the ever increasing violent militancy we have all seen across the nation by fringe factions, peaceful coexistence seems to be a goal neither are interested in.

So where does that leave the rest of us caught in the middle of these militant demonstrations and riots as spineless politicians sit idly by or are more interested in taking verbal pot shots at each other instead of resolving the issues affecting the country?

Should either of these fringe factions ever gain control over the country we all would be subject to whatever restrictions they would place on liberty’s to prevent the other fringe faction from usurping their power. Be it disarmament, ending voting or restricting who may run for office, it would affect us all as leaders became more and more despotic to retain their power.

Fortunately, we are not in any immediate danger of that happening, even with the recent mailings of what is supposed to be bombs sent to prominent Democrats. Bombs so ridiculous looking many have said they should be stamped ACME on the side as one more of Wil E. Coyote’s hair brained efforts to catch the Road Runner.

UPDATE: The Authorities have arrested a suspect in the attempted bombings and as expected, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, many have reverted to using the arrest to further inflame the rhetoric and accuse Republicans.

Fortunately, none went off. It’s uncertain yet if any could have detonated, but it does show how far out of the norm we are allowing things to get whether this was a false flag or dry run for possible future attacks.

For the first two centuries of our country’s existence, we were capable to coexisting and in spite of our differences and at times bickering over political views, we could work through them and make corrections where needed.

We didn’t need to riot in the streets and battle each other to get a point across.

No, we were somehow able to reach a consensus and advance the nation in the best means for as many as possible.

Where and just how we lost that ability is a matter of opinion as I have no doubt the fringe factions today would do battle over that as well, accusing the other of being at fault.

We have to reject the politics of fear and character assassination currently promoted by too many candidates more interested in partisan power over resolving issues facing us.

We must reject these militant factions and call on local leaders to unleash our law enforcement upon them when they get out of hand and demand the courts hold them responsible.

Above all, we must remember we are all Americans and realize moderating demands does not equal mediocrity or cowardice.

If the many generations before us could have meetings of the minds to grant us the greatest amount of freedom and liberties ever, why can’t we today?