While campaigning as a presidential candidate in 2016, Doctor Ben Carson stated, "There are a group of people who would like to silence everybody and have everybody go along to get along, but that's not going to be very helpful for us in the long run — somebody has to be courageous enough to actually stand up to the bullies." 

This article argues that America's 21 million military veterans need to be the "somebody" to effectively stand up against the leftist bullies — the people who want to turn America into some kind of socialist utopia where America's constitution is essentially shredded.  Many, if not most, veterans have had their "fill" of leftist rhetoric and ideology.  There is no better or more respected group of citizens than military veterans to stand up against the people who believe, among other things, that America's founding was illegitimate and immoral.

The term "standing up" encompasses making strong public statements against leftist lawyers, advocates, and often violent crowds who push a socialist or socialist-oriented agenda.   This agenda includes policies like free medical care and free college education for illegal aliens, sanctuary cities (and states) that protect illegal aliens, open borders, destroying free market capitalism, taking away private health insurance, elimination of the Electoral College, attacking people of faith, and other socialist objectives.

More importantly, it is at the ballot box (in 2020 and beyond) where veterans truly need to stand up against the leftist bullies.  In their home towns and communities, veterans need to function as voting "force multipliers" in support of conservative political candidates.  Such candidates genuinely love, treasure, and respect America's constitution and constitutional republic, history, free markets, capitalism, limited government, religious liberty, and many other rights and liberties guaranteed in the constitution.

Veterans understand that a force multiplier is a capability that, when added to or employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment.  In this instance, a voting force multiplier is an energized veteran who causes many additional citizens to vote for genuinely conservative political candidates.

It is believed that many, if not most, veterans need a bit of basic training on how to be a voting force multiplier.  Suggestions are needed on how to approach and appeal to people in their sphere of influence (family members, friends, business associates, etc.).  In this regard, a short, concise narrative for veterans to use when talking to people needs to be developed.  Suitable, bullet-type literature and short 3- to 5-minute videos specially designed for veterans need to be made available for group presentations, social media, and so forth. 

In order to accomplish the above, a veterans organization or other group needs to take a leading role to make it all happen.  Such an initiative might be called Veterans Organized To Energize (VOTE).  The critical question is, who will step up to help train and organize veterans to be voting force multipliers against the leftist bullies?

Paul S. Gardiner is a retired Army officer and graduate of the Army War College residing in Hoschton, Georgia.  He is a Vietnam veteran and avid lover of America with its unique, God-inspired constitutional republic.

Image: Tom Arthur via Wikimedia Commons.