The Day My Shut-Up Meter Died

Hey, remember when my shut-up meter died? It happened even before the pandemic. Back then, I lived in a very liberal community in Oregon, and you learned quickly how much truth to tell. The cultural wave was definitely against you, so you pushed here and there, never lied, but held your tongue when asked what you truly believed.

One year, I was asked to give a holiday gift to the City of Eugene. My boss at the time was a more liberal guy, but he loved my heart and liked the idea of challenging his liberal friends. So, that day I gave the city “The Free Lunch Program.” Basically, it was this: If you think you don’t like a conservative, take a conservative to lunch. If you think you don’t like a liberal, take a liberal to lunch.

But I went on to every other marginalized group and got very pushy in my presentation.

My gift was met with mixed reviews. But it did stir the leadership of what they described as a mostly white, grey-haired, one-party organization. They asked me to be president of the club for a year, which I accepted. They wanted me to bring in new members, including more conservatives and moderate thinkers. Long story short, it didn’t work. I was a rather closeted conservative at the time, but still, some of the hardcore liberals could smell blood in the water and quit the club.

One of the first things I did was talk with a friend of mine who had a market for members of the Latino community. We had a special evening at the market with the club. My friend, the owner, came up to me during the party and said, “Your friends seem very uncomfortable.” To which I answered, “Good.” And they were. The folks at the market were not members of the club, Rotary, or the Hispanic Chamber. These were just regular folks; most didn’t speak English, and it pushed the club to its edge. It exposed their true heart. We never did anything like it again. The club members are the same folks who today are probably pushing to stop ICE and protect illegals from being deported. What’s the irony in that?

The two people who brought me in as president no longer speak to me. One of them, I blocked on all my websites and social media. I refuse to put up with that kind of hate.

A few years later, my patience wore thin. I saw the city, county, and state let lawlessness take over the streets, and they did nothing to stop it. Instead of enforcing laws, like bad parents, they ignored rules and let drug addicts and criminals take over our community. They were more concerned about their virtue than the well-being of these people. That’s when the trolls, minions, and demons unleashed their wrath on me and others who dared to question.

We each have a point of no return. A place where the lies are so obvious we can’t ignore them any longer. The ridiculousness of the COVID lockdowns was the final straw for most people.

When the shut-up meter no longer works, those who’ve always owned the message will panic. They’re not used to sharing the spotlight. Their past cries for unity and diversity are exposed for what they are: bullshit. When the truth sets one group of people free, it imprisons another.

America seems to be in a downward spiral of chaos and dysfunction. Remember, to get better, sometimes conditions must first decline. Hold on because 2026 promises more clarity for those seeking the truth and more exposure for those trying to hide it.

Proverbs 21:15 To do right-ruling is joy to the righteous, but ruin to the workers of wickedness.