Is history repeating itself?

By CRAIG E. CAMPBELL

The 1960s were a turbulent time for America.  The Vietnam War was raging, Cuban Missile Crisis nuclear war brinkmanship, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was gunned down in 1968.

Civil rights demonstrations and protests turned violent, cities burned down, riots dominated the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and so much more.  The mood of America was best summed up in Barry McGuire’s song, Eve of Destruction.

“Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’,

I’m sittin’ here, just contemplatin’,

I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation,

Handful of Senators don’t pass legislation,

And marches alone can’t bring integration,

When human respect is disintegratin’,

This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’,

And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,

Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.”

Music tells stories that often reflect our struggles. 

Today we face mounting civil unrest, bloviating politicians spinning their web of power to suppress liberty and freedom of speech. 

Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots and civil destruction rip democracy away, replaced with hard core autocratic rule (CHOP/CHAZ, etc). The 2020 presidential election was one of the most corrupt in history.  

And here at home our caretaker mayor and socialist Assembly flout their power by ignoring public input, muzzling opposition, crushing our economy in the name of public health, and cramming their socialist ideology down our throats.  

Our State Supreme Court penned a letter gas-lighting racial tension by writing “We recognize that too often African-Americans, Alaska Natives, and other people of color are not treated with the same dignity and respect as white members of our communities.”  

Really, and what statistics did they present to substantiate this highly inflammatory rhetoric?  None. 

Then they signal to all Alaska courts to become more politically pro-active, by stating “When so many members of our community are not heard or are not treated fairly, we must make changes.”  

I hate to even ask what changes this wacko court would recommend, but you can bet it would not be anything consistent with the rule of law under our constitution, which states that all people should be treated equally.  We must change our judge appointment process and strip the Alaska Judicial Council’s control of systemic liberalism in our court system. 

The song “Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel voiced frustration with people not speaking up and the danger that silence causes to society.  These words ring as true today as they did in 1964:

“And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools”, said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence”

This past year we spent too much time sheepishly submitting to the heavy-handed dictums from an idiotic Anchorage Assembly, mayor, and acting mayor, but feeling like it was again the Eve of Destruction.  There is no more time to remain silent.  

Anchorage is waking up.  The tide is turning against despotic rule of our city. Blue Lives Matter demonstrations, recall efforts against cabal members, the “Day of Reckoning” to open businesses, Save Anchorage, Open Alaska, Alaska for Open Meetings, and other movements have started to push back on these neophyte local “leaders.”  It is time to take back our liberties.

It will not be easy.  Entrenched politicians are against us. The media and most social media platforms is against us. Outside dark money from Soros, Bloomberg, Steyer, and Bezos-funded organizations are against us. Many inside the bureaucracy are against us.  It doesn’t matter, we have the passion for freedom and the preservation of our democratic republic on our side.  

This year we must be vocal and visible. Attend Assembly meetings and voice your opposition to their actions. At the Anchorage Assembly, you can go up in front of the dais, lay down, drink water, do push-ups, and generally show contempt to the Assembly in a peaceful manner, as was accepted protocol to Assembly Chair Felix Rivera last summer. 

You can also:

• Write letters to the editor and post your thoughts on social media, like Must Read Alaska’s Facebook page.  
• Decide which conservative mayoral candidate you support and donate to his or her campaign.  
• Sign the recall petitions against Assembly members.
• Show up at rallies focused on opening up our economy and demanding city government represent the people’s desires.  
• Most importantly, vote for a conservative mayor and conservative school board members on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 Anchorage municipal election.

Don’t be intimidated by politicians pontificating how much smarter and better than you they are.  Yeah, Assemblyman Christopher Constant, that refers to your arrogant behavior and disrespectful attitude towards the public.

Anchorage is not the progressive city being controlled by these neo-socialists. But we will continue down the road to bigger government, fewer freedoms, and nanny state socialism unless we confront the cancer and stop it here and now.  

Are you ready to oppose this beast and restore Anchorage to the great city we used to have before it was overrun with these liberal tyrants?  This change in government cannot be done without you.  Let’s take back Anchorage in 2021!

Craig E. Campbell served on the Anchorage Assembly between 1986 and 1995 and later as Alaska’s Tenth Lieutenant Governor.  He was the previous Chief Executive Officer and President for Alaska Aerospace Corporation.  He retired from the Alaska National Guard as Lieutenant General (AKNG) and holds the concurrent retired Federal rank of Major General (USAF).