Recently I attended a funeral for a friend, Carleton Buck. As I listened to everyone speak in honor of him, I was amazed at how consistent the man had been in his life. One long time friend read an excerpt from his high school yearbook. His friends in high school described him the same way he was remembered at 89 years old. Consistency with honor, something slowly fading from our nation, was the hallmark of Carleton Buck.

A chuckled passed through the room, as a story was told of Carleton finding a dime on the floor at the Dover post office lobby. He wandered around for minutes looking for the owner. When non could be found, he placed it on the ledge near the mailboxes in hopes the owner would return to claim it. Carleton wouldn’t take it because it wasn’t his and he didn’t earn it. What volumes that man could teach our leaders in Washington and Augusta.

Finally, one of Mr. Buck’s sons retold a favorite joke of Carleton’s;

What piece of machinery will John Deere not stand behind? Their manure spreaders.

(There’s probably a lot of politicians John Deere won’t stand behind either.) This joke brought those in attendance to tears with laughter. Just the way Carleton would like it.

Lately it seems that Democrats have been trying to exploit that natural human aversion to the word “No“. Human nature, more often then not, is frustrated by this simple two letter word because it generally means we can’t have what we want.

     To the Liberal, “No” is the villain in every act of life’s theatre. Every pleasure, every desire, and every fantasy should be examined through personal experience. The idea that an individual could seek counsel of someone who has already passed through said experiences and thereby avoid any pitfalls and encumbrances that an indulgent incurs is ludicrous to the “free thinking”. Once young “new thinkers” follow the older “free thinkers” on the path of enlightenment, they soon find themselves buried in a pile of enlightened personal baggage; but, instead of stopping for a personal critic of ones lifestyle choices, social elites point the finger and howl and rage at the ones who told them “No“. It was, of course, their negative attitude that drove them there in the first place.

     Parents who dare harbor the word “No” in their disciplinary verbiage are maligned as dysfunctional. Nothing is more frustrating to a Liberal then children who are raised to understand law and order, cause and effect, and, that nasty word, personal responsibility. These young people are much harder to exploit and prey upon. Liberals much prefer undisciplined minds to drain and fill with their mantra. Thus, it takes a village to raise a child. Yes, Greenwich village.

     Some parents will raise disciplined children prepared for life and all of it’s challenges. Undoubtedly, they will become successful in life. Socialist will punish them for being raised with the word “No” in their background and therefore understanding limits and parameters. “Free thinkers” will wag their fingers, from underneath their enlightened baggage, railing against the ill-gotten wealth accumulated embracing the attributes of “No“. They will demand it be redistributed to all who have rejected the confines of the word “No” and now wallow amongst their baggage.

     Lastly, the Republican Party almost seems embarrassed to say “No“. They’ve held a meeting trying to decide how not to say no, but still say “No“. They want to find a way to make the party more appealing. (That’s code for trying to lie like a Democrat) The word “No“, as small as it is, has the power to stop motion or action. It just needs someone strong enough to use it effectively. As our country is spiraling towards socialism, the Republicans need to say “No“. People who have the strength to say “No” are forward looking people. They can see past the horizon to the effects of a certain action and stop it before the damage occurs. I hope the Republicans have the strength to be the party of “No“. I not, they are the party of “Yes“. We can’t afford that.