Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote an essay for American Thinker: "They escaped totalitarianism twice, only to see it again in America."  I described how badly our leftist neighbors responded to my father-in-law's support for President Trump in the 2020 election.  I described how vandals stole his political signs several times, but the gist of the article was about two main points.

First, I told how my father-in-law had survived both the Nazis and the Soviets in Poland during WW2, emigrated to Argentina as a kid, and then survived the dictatorship in that country.  In Argentina, he had been forced to hide his college textbooks in the backyard for fear of government agents.  My wife recalls the young next-door neighbors being dragged out of the house and shot in the street, ostensibly for being socialist, but it was just as likely that they simply did not want to live in a dictatorship.

The second point was that Carmel, Indiana, a wealthy bedroom community of Indianapolis, and a thriving community in its own right, was beginning to show the same initial signs of social intolerance fomented by the Nazis, the Soviets, and Argentina's dictators.  Gina Carano warned about letting this happen in the U.S. on her social media and was fired from Disney for her trouble.

Currently, my 82-year-old father-in-law displays in his front yard a pro-life sign and a "Facts Are Facts" sign (that I created).  He also flies his U.S. flag upside-down as a sign that he believes that the "greatest country on Earth" is in serious distress.  Because we have cleverly hidden cameras (and some not so hidden), the signs have not yet been molested.

Image courtesy of Matt Rowe.

However, he is now receiving anonymous mail claiming he needs "to get a freaking clue" and asking him if he isn't aware that he lives in Carmel, Indiana with "a life full of privilege."  The same mail also asked, "Don't you watch the news and know what country you are living in?"  Then the author(s) went so far as to say that my sign is wrong (and that hurt).

Indiana has traditionally been a red state, with college towns and the capital city being blue.  All in all, it has been fairly balanced in my opinion.  My county, Hamilton, and the City of Carmel within it have traditionally been GOP areas for decades.  In fact, I would say many of our state's GOP representatives end up being closer to RINOs, which has prevented a major awaking of Hoosier Liberals in the past.  Smarter people than I probably know better reasons for this.

In any event, during the 2020 presidential election and for the first time, Carmel predominantly voted for President Biden.  President Trump carried Hamilton County.  One of my neighbors had a banner on his house announcing that he was a "Republican for Biden."  The banner on my house (and my father-in-law's) was "Bring Venezuela to the US...Vote Biden Harris."  I can't tell you how many people actually thought we were advocating for President Biden.  We will be more direct with our banners next time.

My wife, a naturalized U.S. citizen, immigrated legally, graduated from West Point, and served in the Balkans.  I am a disabled Special Forces veteran.  We have chosen to fly the Betsy Ross revolutionary flag rather than fly our American flag upside-down.  We need to have a more revolutionary attitude about keeping this country great, though I am not advocating for rebellion in any way.

One thing is for sure: leftists hate us.  They are afraid of us and are up to their same old shameful tricks at every level of politics.

Don't fall for the hype about a GOP sweep in the next elections simply because the Biden administration has done such a terrible job.  The GOP has also done a terrible job — mostly nothing — and people are still going to vote along party lines.

When it comes your time to vote, please get out there.  Canvass for a local candidate.  Send flyers and talk to your friends.  The battle for the nation is far from over, and it can get much worse.  Just ask my father-in-law, or his wife, or my wife, or our cousins in Poland playing host to two Ukrainian women and a handful of kids.

One last point, if you don't mind.  The letter made a big deal about my father-in-law's U.S. flag being upside-down: "For the love of God and country...take down the flag and put it up the way a real man that loves America would hang it!"

We don't know the "real" man or woman who sent this message because it was anonymous.  What we do know is that these people could never understand how my family loves this country as only formerly oppressed immigrants could.  Talk about privilege!  The "real man" is 82 years old and doing everything he can to save this country.

Nous défions!