Is Conservative Media the Answer?

I've had enough time on the free speech (viz. conservative) social media platforms, Gab and CloutHub, to form something of an opinion in answer to this post's title question, is conservative media the answer? The best I can give you is a wishy-washy probably not. 

First, the pros. I don't spend anywhere near the time on these two platforms as I once did just on Facebook. This is primarily because I don't know anyone on them personally! Alas, none of my Facebook friends have come to find me in either place. I have, however, joined some groups, and that has been a fine experience. The first one I joined was the #WalkAway Campaign, which was the reason I signed up for CloutHub. Speaking of which...

I found out only Friday that on Monday, Brandon Straka was arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. That's a whole other story, but one thing I heard was that some of the "evidence" against him included comments he made on YouTube, and it was a family member who turned him in. Statements made to Fox News also got him in trouble. So this kind of leads into a related question, as to whether anyone is actually safe using any kind of online media. 

We can find safer options, such as email and internet servers that block ads, don't share your info, and protect your privacy. We can choose social media platforms like Gab that are entirely self-owned and don't censor or fact-check you or spy on what you're doing other places on the web. So you could say that leaving Big Tech and switching to safer options is something of a solution. 

However, if the Leftist mob can shut you down, they will. They are going after the high profile people who have had a strong influence against them first, like poor Brandon. I believe they will eventually fry as many of the smaller fish as they can as well. Unless the whole scheme blows up in their face, which I think is a reasonably likely outcome. I have no doubt that they will start eating each other before it's all said and done. 

Right now I'm leaning toward the conclusion that social media is a plain old bad idea. It's a distraction, an addiction, and largely a waste of time. Following the news, whether it's the big Democrat controlled conglomeration or smaller, more sane alternatives, typically does nothing for one's mental health. Is the solution to cut back, to be very picky about who and how much you read and listen to, or would it be best to cut it all out of your life as entirely as you can? I find that most of my attempts at moderation fail. Once I get started consuming, it's a giant, rolling snowball. I suppose the first step is admitting you have a problem, so I'm probably ahead of the pack by virtue of simply asking these questions. 

What about you? Are you still slogging your way through fruitless sessions on Twitter and Facebook? Have you discovered some better options, but perhaps find them only minimally satisfying? Does viewing the news make you crazy? So then you turn to a Netflix or Hulu binge for escape? 

Where does it all end??? There must be a better way to live. No, I don't necessarily think that getting 100% off the internet is the answer. My family depends on it for a large part of our income, so we must have it. In our personal lives, though, I really don't think it would be hard to live without it. Because I'm old enough that I have. I like blogging, which by now is pretty much old school. I enjoy a TV series now and then. I have been in this place before, and I feel stuck. What changes should be made, and how, if I'm going to live a life around the three themes of this blog for 2021?

I think that wiping the slate clean first would be a feasible approach. Cut it all out and then decide on what, very specifically, to let back in, and how much time to allow for it. For Lent, beginning in 17 days, I could give up all internet but blogging (say, a maximum of once per week), what is needed for work and homeschooling, using the library catalogue online, and a daily, one-hour limit for TV (including YouTube). But no news on any forum and no social media. Okay, I'm going to sleep on that, and then I will proceed to share with you how I'm preparing for Lent and this working plan. I might even give up coffee too, if I'm feeling particularly ascetic!!

Big Tech Treachery | A Patriots' Underground Railroad?

 

I'm sure you've all heard by now about Friday's Big Tech purge. Twitter kicked President Trump off its platform and even deleted his tweets from the official POTUS account. The app for Parler, a free speech alternative to Twitter, was removed by both Google Play and Apple; and as of midnight tonight, Parler's website server will be taken down by Amazon, effectively wiping it off the internet. Parler says it has plenty of others competing to be its new server, so there is still some hope.  

Facebook also made sweeping purges of users and groups, most notably for me the #WalkAway Campaign, a group of over 500,000 people, founded by Brandon Straka. All of the group's admins' personal accounts were wiped as well. #WalkAway was the most diverse group you can imagine, with people of all races and ethnicities, many members of the LGBT community, teenagers to senior citizens, folks from all walks of life. The common ground is that they have all walked away from the Democrat Party, and the group's purpose was to provide a place for testimonials and support. #WalkAway has no history of violent rhetoric or action, either online or in person. They broke no Facebook rules. 

Brandon is working right now to get his group reinstated on Facebook, but he realizes it's time to find a new home. He asked for viewers at his YouTube channel to find the group at clouthub.com. I joined CloutHub today myself, and it looks like a user friendly, alternative social media platform for Patriots. Brandon had previously asked followers to sign up at the #WalkAway website for the email list, only to have Leftist trolls report him as spam, resulting in getting kicked him off his email provider! 

On the news media front, CNN has launched a campaign to pressure cable providers to no longer host Fox News, News Max, and One America News! Both the social media and news media giants have been engaged in censorship and information manipulation for a long time. With the Democrat Party soon to be in nearly complete power of the federal government, the Communist coup will be a done deal. It's the end of the Republic as we know it. But are all the nails on the coffin pounded shut?

I doubt the effort to remove Fox News, OAN, and News Max will be successful, and even if it is, there are other options, such as LifeSite News, Church Militant, and EWTN, all conservative Catholic outlets. YouTubers such as Timothy Gordon, Patrick Coffin, the Rubin Report, Candace Owens, Dr. Taylor Marshall, and Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire group are all good resources for news and commentary. (Please note that I don't necessarily agree with all opinions or viewpoints expressed on these platforms.) Of course, conservatives on YouTube have also been enduring a great deal of censorship, needing to resort to speaking in code in some cases, so alternatives to that platform will likely be necessary too. I've heard Rumble mentioned in this regard. 

Just as Patriots may need to geographically relocate, concentrating themselves in red states, we will need to regroup online, finding new venues for communication. I think email, which has been making a comeback, is going to be instrumental as a way to ensure privacy and communicate to large groups of people. I've recently started using Proton Mail, a secure server out of Switzerland, and I'm very happy with it. 

One caveat to all this is that the conservative movement, by which I don't mean the Republican Party specifically, must remain entirely peaceful (while keeping in mind that self-defense could become necessary). Violent extremists should not be welcome. What happened at the Capitol last week did nothing to further the "Patriot Party" cause and gave Big Tech just the excuse they needed to launch their assault. 

I'm thinking in terms of a Patriots' Underground Railroad to get us off the "Democrat Plantation," as conservative author and activist Candace Owens puts it in Blackout. We need to find a new home court advantage. Mixing it up on platforms like Facebook and Twitter is counterproductive. No, we don't want to get lost in our own echo chamber like radical Leftists are, but we desperately need the support of like-minded communities, the ability to speak freely and safely, and places to organize our plans. 

Since Blogger is owned by Google, even this little corner of Organic Mothering may eventually have to find a new home...

#WalkAway Campaign No. 1 | Political Party vs. Ideology | Liberal Silencing of Conservatives

Yesterday I was under the weather and spent way too much time on YouTube. But a fortuitous thing happened. I discovered the #WalkAway Campaign, a movement of former liberals who have taken the "red pill" regarding what the Democratic Party is really all about. The first video I watched is an interview with the founder of the campaign, Brandon Straka, a gay man from NYC, and two other leaders of the group. They discuss the massive rejection and hatred they encountered over switching to the conservative Trump camp. As minorities, it was expected that they be liberal Democrats. They thought they had no choice. This is the most intelligent discussion I've heard on these topics. It's a must-see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATwSpkqI2gk

I also watched a fascinating #WalkAway documentary featuring black Americans who feel deceived and betrayed by the Democratic Party. It begins with Brandon's testimonial video that went viral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNvBpXzKG2E

A common theme among the #WalkAway stories is that people felt intimidated into silence. Now they are courageously "coming out" as former liberals who have seen the light. I'm not on Instagram, but I joined the Facebook group. You can go to the website at walkawaycampaign.com for more information and testimonials. 

This is the first video I plan to share in a series on breaking the silence being imposed on conservatives by the socialist left and showcasing various elements of the big picture. I invite you to take the red pill (ask Wikipedia about the 1990s movie, "The Matrix," if you have no idea what I'm talking about!) with me and get at the truth. The truth will set us free, and our freedom as Americans is exactly what is at stake.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFAgmg9B_Q

Additional note: A viewer brought to my attention that I wasn't clear on a couple of points in the video. Unfortunately I don't have technical editing skills, and I've heard from other youtubers that it takes several hours to edit a video, so I'm going to leave it as it is. When I mention the Catholic Church's official teaching on marriage (which is the same in some other Christian denominations), and how those views, even when expressed respectfully and without malice, are not allowed, but are viciously attacked by the media and the liberal PC police; I am NOT meaning to say that homosexual people are any less Christian than anyone else. I didn't even present my personal opinion on gay marriage, but used this as an example of the silencing of conservatives. What I did specifically mean to imply is that as a Christian, I cannot in good conscience vote for a Democratic candidate due to that party's extreme pro-abortion agenda. For me, that issue trumps (pun may or may not be intended!) any others at this point. I do see the Democratic party and liberal media as promoting a culture of death and destruction. That does not mean that I villainize everyone who votes Democrat. I clearly stated that I believe there is evil on both sides. The silencing, however, appears very one-sided. I hope that clears up any misunderstanding! I really did try to be sensitive and clear, so please forgive my imperfections.