Anyone who knows me is sure to think that I’ve gone completely insane with an article that advocates not blaming liberals. But there is a very good lesson contained within that title that conservatives need to embrace.

This isn’t my own idea but one expressed by a new conservative friend at the end of a recent meeting, and it was truly an “ah-ha” moment because I realized he was absolutely correct.  

I’ve described myself as a former “closet conservative” because I was too timid to express my conservative views for fear of offending someone with opposite beliefs. My timidity, along with that of countless other conservatives, has allowed the left to dominate the politics and culture of our nation, and has resulted in the liberal encroachment into government and our lives.

My friend went on to remind us that liberals don’t outnumber conservatives in America; in fact, Gallup polling from January 2012 revealed that conservatives are the largest ideological group in the United States. We actually outnumber them by a 2-1 margin. But while liberals lack the physical numbers, they make up for that deficit with their razor-sharp organizational ability and dogged determination to push their agenda into every segment of society to include our government, our schools, our churches, and our entertainment. They are patient and persistent, passionate and vocal, understanding that the next election begins as soon as returns are in from the current one, and their strategizing never ends. Add the influence of the left-leaning mainstream media, and liberals are ahead before conservatives ever get out of the gate.

So rather than blame the left, I’ve decided that we should admire their tenacity…then kick ourselves in the rear for allowing it to happen.

We’re less than four months from a monumental election, one that will indisputably determine the direction of our nation for future generations. Are you engaged in the process? Are you, your eligible family members, and every conservative you know registered to vote? Are you volunteering for a campaign? Do you know and understand the issues, and are you consistently sharing them with your family and friends? I can assure you that those on the left are working steadily on “all the above” while we sit around blaming the liberals and hoping that someone else is going to make a difference.

Believe me, I completely understand the reluctance to engage in political discussion because I also had the “I hate politics and politicians” mindset and avoided putting my name to ANYTHING political. I still detest “politics” because it’s simply a game and the winners are not our citizens. But the future of our nation isn’t a game – we’re in a war to salvage what’s left of our constitutional republic and I have zero patience with politicians who don’t or won’t recognize the danger.  

Restoring our liberties and getting our nation back on sound fiscal footing will not be achieved with one or two election cycles, and may not be completely attained with three. But it certainly won’t be accomplished unless conservatives recognize that we have the ability and resources necessary to reverse the destructive trends of the past three-and-a-half years if we’ll only get to work.

As you decide whether or not you want to quit blaming the liberals and engage in this battle, remember the words of President Ronald Reagan:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Marcia Chambliss is the Alabama State Coordinator of Smart Girl Politics.

Article originally published in the August 2012 issue of The Alabama Gazette, Montgomery, AL.