American Heroes: Conservative Congressional Republicans

We often think of “heroes” as people who go above and beyond average expectations, who stand up to those who would cause us harm or destruction, who risk their own interests in order to save something they perceive to be greater than themselves.

How difficult it is to consider people currently in American government as heroes. After all, we have a narcissistic president, whose narcissism is so ingrained that he has no awareness of his grossly partisan agenda. We have a Democrat Party that plans to spend more money anyway, so why bother with a budget at all? And we have an established, main stream Republican Party that seems frightened to win elections.

Then, we have the conservative congressional Republicans, many of whom were elected into office in 2010, in response to a glorious, grass-roots revolution called “The Tea Party.” This group of Republicans believes in limited government, so that the private sector can produce growth; low taxes; sound and balanced budgeting; and government by the Constitution on which the nation was established.

Since this group of conservative Republicans arrived in Washington, they have challenged the status quo. They have insisted that ObamaCare be repealed; they have denounced the spending of the Obama administration and similar spending by establishment Republicans; they have demanded tax reform; they have challenged the notion that the debt ceiling must automatically be raised; they have deplored the likely corruption of the Obama administration’s part in scandals such as Fast and Furious and the murders of American diplomats in Benghazi; they have demanded that entitlement programs be cut; and they have brought more awareness to how the Constitution of the United States, and the rights of individuals, are being trampled upon, particularly by the current administration.

For these positions and activities, conservative congressional Republicans have been accused, by Democrats, of being “an aberrant strain,” “the problem,” the “extremists” that prevent compromise from happening, when, by compromise they really mean more spending.

While derision and criticism from one’s political enemies might be expected, conservative congressional Republicans have also been ridiculed as “hobbits” by some of their own party members and those in even so-called “conservative” media, who have treated them like a kind of relic from the Neanderthal age. Establishment Republican leadership has attempted to push these congressional conservatives to the side, hoping to avoid further embarrassment to the grandness of their old party.

But conservative Republicans of Congress have pushed on, have been undaunted by the piling on of derision and hateful spew from politicians and the media alike. They have refused to cave in to pressure and fear, knowing that their voices are necessary to force a national self-evaluation.

Perhaps they are a small bunch right now, these conservative Republicans in Washington; but, hopefully, they will be growing in number, for our country needs more heroes, more Americans who can challenge what is taken for granted, who can continue the fight to sustain the idea that is America in the face of opposition from all sides. Let’s be grateful to these American heroes who will take the battle for a constitutionally sound government into the New Year ahead.