What is Unity?

Rob Meyne

  • Nov. 19, 2020
  • 4 min read

Unity is a word that is thrown around pretty casually. But it is is hard to come up with a real definition of what unity means today.

In practice, the way the left uses the term, unity means surrender. It’s a lot like the term compromise. We are urged to compromise, which means agreeing with them. Democrats ran on a platform that supports bigger government, higher taxes, less freedom, and more control of your medical care, job, cost and sources of energy, and even the kind of car you drive. The 2020 Democratic Platform advocated a greater increase in governmental power, and a concomitant reduction in American freedom, than any such treatise in our history. We are urged to unify by accepting some or all of those positions. No thanks.

A conservative accepting the positions of our opponents, as a reaction to an election loss (if that is how things turn out), makes as much sense as accepting death as a solution to illness.

First, the election is not final. There is abundant evidence that fraud and illegality was widespread in 2020. Biden may not have won. But it is worth getting it right. Anyone who tells you President Trump should give in and call it a day is, well, not your friend and not a friend to the nation either.

There is no downside to letting the process play out, in court where necessary, and getting a final decision. The only people who oppose that are bigoted partisans who only care about the power a Biden win would give them. Again, the Dem leadership is actively, aggressively opposing efforts to make sure the vote count is accurate and honest. That is indefensible.

Second, remember the Democrats themselves have in recent years established the habit of opposing election results when they don’t like them. In 2000, Al Gore dragged the nation through recounts, lawsuits, and counter lawsuits. It took him 37 days to admit he lost.

Rather than having several states in question, as we do today, it was exactly one, Florida. The count in Florida was close but never favored Gore. Every count, recount, and media-sponsored recount had Bush as the winner. Yet Gore fought it fang and talon, and only caved when SCOTUS issued their ruling, meaning there was nothing else he could legally do to fight it. He conceded only when every other option had run its course. Spare us the rants to “give in for the good of the country.” Or the claims that using the constitutionally proscribed processes, to determine the accuracy of the vote count, is a threat to our nation. Nonsense. Quite the opposite. A country that uses the legal process outlined in our founding documents, state, and local laws to resolve an issue is doing exactly what it should. It strengthens the country, rather than undermining it.

Remember, third, that the Democratic leadership has spent four years trying to bring down the duly-elected president. Unencumbered by ethics or a fondness for truth, they tried everything. They have opposed the winner, President Trump, in every way they possibly could. They have called him illegitimate, said the election was fraudulent, and had been rigged. The Dems launched a torrent of false accusations, insults, and investigations, none of which ever amounted to anything. Lots of people don’t like the way Trump acts, or his policies, but that is not sufficient reason to impeach him or drive him from office. Trump has been proven guilty of zero crimes. No evidence was ever presented that he conspired with the Russians. No one on his team was convicted of anything related to Russian “collusion.” And we learned the nation’s intelligence infrastructure falsified evidence, lied, and illegally got warrants to spy on American citizens. Those are the people urging us to unify.

The night of the election in 2016, the always classy Rashida Talib promised to “impeach the mother***ker.” That encapsulated the determination of the Dems to oppose Trump, the legitimate winner, and to do so in all ways possible. At least give the Dem leadership credit for being focused. They have the appeal and decency of a spoonful of coronavirus, but they are determined.

Where is the opportunity for unity? I would argue there is none. There is very little common ground on policy. How do we compromise on abortion? Kill every other baby? Where is the opportunity for unity on illegal immigration? President Trump wants to end illegal immigration. The Democrats want to make it easier. Where is the common ground on taxes? The Dems want to raise them (including yours and mine) while the President wants to cut them some more. The list goes on. The Democratic Party, and the Green New Deal, which was sponsored by the woman who will be president if Biden wins, wants to eliminate fossil fuels, cars, and planes. At a time when we have become energy secure precisely because of our ability to find and extract petroleum, the Dems want to eliminate it. It is as if manna had suddenly appeared in front of every hungry person on the planet, so the Dems want to ban it. Where is the common ground? There is precious little common ground even on the big, general values that guide us. The GOP embraces an agenda called “America First.” The Dems do not share even that basic, common sense view. They oppose America First. They often put the interests of the rest of the world ahead of our own. They’re proud of it. Where is the common ground? What are the chances we will agree on the details of policy when we can’t even agree on whose interests we should serve?

It is difficult to find any areas on which to unify. Does unity require giving up our political positions and values? Then no, thanks. Does unity require we shut up and quit challenging, questioning, or even participating in the public policy process? Again, no thanks. If Biden does win, will unity require us to be nicer, kinder, and classier, in the way we treat them, than they have been to us? Why is it always up to conservatives to apologize, reach out, give in, accept the positions of our opponents, and quit putting America first? Why should we do any of that? Again, no, no, no thanks.

If unifying means giving up our principles, and giving in to people who do not believe in America First, then, respectfully, screw that.

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