I can no longer sit back and watch the greatest country in the world be destroyed before my eyes. Criminals are running wild, smashing, stealing and driving businesses out of our cities. They are killing innocent people, assaulting our police and poisoning our children with deadly drugs. We all know what’s causing this chaos. It’s a lack of leadership — a complete and utter failure to condemn the lawlessness and uphold the law.
By staying silent and pretending not to see the evil taking place on our streets and at our border, our public officials are taking part in the conspiracy. The only thing evil needs to succeed is to have good people look on and do nothing. And that’s what’s happening now — at every level of government and in corporate America. While men and women in the military put their lives on the line and fight for our freedoms, our leaders, either because of bad intent or a simple lack of courage, are taking our freedoms away. We deserve better.
I have to give credit where credit is due. Years ago, Bill Clinton called out Sister Souljah and her violent rhetoric. It took some courage to do it in front of an audience that was not receptive to what he had to say. But he knew that words have consequences. What she said could lead to bloodshed, and what he said could prevent it. It’s one time when he put the country ahead of his own personal interest. It’s long past time for another Sister Souljah moment.
We keep hearing that President Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen is a threat to our democracy. Last I checked, it’s not a crime to question election results. Al Gore did it. So did Hillary Clinton. Stacey Abrams refused to concede Brian Kemp was the Governor of Georgia. It’s our right as citizens to say what we want and challenge the system. We’ve been doing it for centuries. And our republic is stronger because of it.
Faith in our government institutions is at an all-time low. But it’s not because of claims of election fraud. It’s because people see that government is not treating everyone fairly. In many cases, government is ignoring the law altogether and abusing its citizens. Looters are let go while parents are condemned for standing up for their kids. Many charges BLM protestors faced were dropped, while pro-life advocates who chalked “Black Pre-born Lives Matter” on a sidewalk were arrested. The Department of Justice runs out the clock to help the President’s son while the President’s allies jam his political opponent with criminal indictments. The President who called out corruption in Ukraine gets impeached while the current President brags about his role in the corruption.
People see what’s going on and don’t accept it. Because it’s wrong. We can’t continue to live like this. We don’t need to change our laws or our system of government to turn things around. We just need to make sure the people in charge are clear about the difference between right and wrong and stand on the side of right. They must be held accountable.
President John F. Kennedy’s command that we put our country before ourselves applies even more to elected officials who took an oath to serve. If they won’t do right by this country, we have to call them out and vote them out if necessary.
To anyone who doesn’t mind the disparity we are experiencing and doesn’t feel the need to speak out, think again. It’s only a matter of time before people drunk on power will come for you too. Our rights should not be subject to partisan politics. They should remain constant regardless of which party is in control of government.
It’s time we all stick together as a matter of principle and demand fairness for all, even those we disagree with. It’s time for the press to do their jobs and expose injustice instead of participating in it. It’s time for our leaders to grow a spine and stand up for what’s right for the country. If they don’t, we won’t have a country worth leading anymore.
Herschel Walker is a former Georgia Senate candidate and NFL player.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.