Civil Disobedience
There are countless stories coming out of the western Carolinas. Some of them are heartbreaking. Some are heartwarming. Some will make you flat-out angry.
I was pretty skeptical when the first few stories emerged about agents from FEMA and some other governmental reps interfering with relief efforts. I think the first story I heard was about a private helicopter pilot who had been dropping supplies and rescuing people. He was warned to stop flying or he would be arrested.
I thought, “That can’t be right.” Well, I was wrong.
There are literally dozens of stories like this coming out of the area from all kinds of sources. I’ve heard stories, as I am sure you have, about tractor trailers full of supplies having their tires slashed in a rest stop, helicopter pilots like the one I mentioned being told to stop flying, and FEMA reps confiscating truckloads of supplies because they aren’t on the “approved vendor list”.
The sources of these stories are varied and there are, quite literally, people posting on social media from the disaster sites, on their personal accounts, of government interference. There are even screenshots of messages between Elon Musk and one of his trusted agents, who is there handing out free Starlink systems, saying that FEMA and other government agents are threatening them. I even saw an account where local law enforcement have threatened to arrest FEMA or other Federal Agents if they attempt to interfere with volunteers who are trying to help.
There is way too much of this out there to NOT be true.
Enter the Average American. The one who knows they need to help. The one who knows people lives are at risk. The one who has the know-how, the drive, and the equipment to help. These are also the people who will, without hesitation, tell a Federal Agent “No” when they try to stop them. One of the most popular sayings throughout this recovery effort is “One Redneck is worth one hundred PhDs”. And that’s a fact.
These people are risking their property, their personal equipment, their businesses, and even their lives to help other Americans. Overland vehicles. ATVs. Helicopters. Chainsaws. Winches. Horses. Drones. People are bringing everything they have to the “fight”, in an effort to help the recovery. And they are doing it because they are Americans and because other Americans need help. Leave it to the Federal Government to stand in the way of that.
This is Civil Disobedience. It isn’t “expressing their feelings” by burning down the local Walmart or looting a jewelry store or flipping over cars. These aren’t destructive riots that cause MORE damage. They aren’t flash mob looting of department stores because life is unfair. This is CIVIL Disobedience. These Americans aren’t hurting, they are helping. They just need to ignore the Federal Government to do it.
There was a claim a couple of days ago that a local FEMA director was beaten because they were interfering with relief efforts. I haven’t seen a single report of it since then, so I am chalking it up to the internet being the internet, but if it WERE true, that would be unacceptable. However, everything else that is going on with all these volunteers giving the finger to Federal Agents and doing what they know will SAVE LIVES, that is civil disobedience.
And I’m a big fan.
I do think this is has the potential to be a seminal moment. This could lay the groundwork for more civil disobedience from conservatives over the coming months. Let’s be realistic, conservatives have been saying “I’ve had enough of this” for about 10 years now but haven’t done anything except storming the Capital on January 6th (that’s a different discussion for a different day). Other than that, not much has been done.
Conservatives tend to live a little closer to the beliefs of the founding fathers, what is written in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and they tend to side on the principles that kicked off the Revolutionary War. And as much complaining as they have done over the last decade, not much action has been taken to make a course correction in the direction our nation is heading. Until now.
This recovery effort, and the MASSIVE misstep by the Federal Government to interfere in it, has caused many Average Americans to do something they haven’t done yet; tell the Government to go “F-themselves”. And they are doing it loudly and publicly. By the way, they are finding strength in numbers when they do, and that gives them confidence to continue to do it. Not just now, but in the future, too. Like I said, this could be a tide turner.
With the claims of election fraud from 2020 still ringing loudly, and current polls giving President Trump a massive popular lead, November could be the next major turning point. With the strength of the Hurricane Helene resistance still in their recent memories, there are plenty of Average Americans out there that will not stand idly by if President Trump loses the election.
Don’t get me wrong, if there is no cause for people to get upset, they won’t. These aren’t the people that burn down their own city because they are “expressing their anger”. If there aren’t reports of election interference, ballot box stuffing, absentee ballot forging, dead people voting, and midnight poll jumps, then no one will act out. I would also tell you, there is a ZERO percent chance of that happening.
So, this could be it. These Average Americans in the western Carolinas who are currently fighting AGAINST our own Federal Government in the best interest of other Americans…they might be it. They might be the tipping point. You’re seeing it now, but I have a feeling we are about to witness a lot more Civil Disobedience.
NOTE: PLEASE DONATE TO HURRICANE RELIEF. SUPPLIES AND VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED.