Civil war is here. It has come to America. For the second time. This one is between those who respect history, tradition, reality, decency, dignity, excellence, and the truth ... and those who utterly despise all of these and instead worship sloth, destruction, entitlement … and themselves.

One group erects stores, buildings, and towers — and manufactures automobiles — the other loots, vandalizes, and burns them.

Members of one group defend America and are willing to lay down their lives if necessary for liberty. The other group spits on them.

One group believes in capitalism, the lone economic system that has lifted billions out of abject poverty and works hard to make the lives of their family — and their fellow citizens — richer and better. The other believes in leftist ideologies such as socialism, Marxism, and communism, social and economic systems that have historically led to deprivation, misery, and the death of hundreds of millions.

One group believes in inalienable natural rights granted by the Creator, the other doesn’t believe in a Creator, and believes only in such limited rights as bestowed by those in government.

One group believes that the two sexes are divinely created for their complementarity and were mandated by God to go forth and multiply. The other believes there are an infinite number of sexes and genders, and that they have nothing whatsoever to do with procreation.

One group is pro-life, the other pro-death. The former doesn’t believe in abortion or assisted suicide, the latter fervently believes in both, the better to spare the earth the burden of more human beings.

One group believes in the First and Second Amendments, the other neither. One group believes in equal justice under the law, the other in a two-tiered justice system. One group believes in the rule of law, the other that the ends justify the means -- whatever the means may be.

One group is actually committed to the continuation of a healthy democracy in the form of a representative republic, the other just purports to be.

One group attempts to employ history, logic, and reason to persuade, the other uses lies, slander, libel, and profanity.

This is the last time we will have this choice. As Elon Musk says, if the latter group wins, we will have one-party rule by bureaucracy. Meaning tyranny. Permanently.

So it is time to pick your side. History cries for a result. Posterity breathlessly awaits.

Thomas Paine once noted, “'Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country.” That is certainly true today.

In The Crisis, written in December of 1776, Paine wrote: “THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

These, too, are times that try men’s souls. But let’s not panic. No more sunshine patriots here.

Image: Library of Congress, via Picryl // no known restrictions