In her article “How to Prepare for a Communist Coup,” Judith Acosta advises we arm ourselves, build a cache of supplies, be ready to take a stand if necessary, and prepare in the Spirit. She asked a friend, whose father fought in the Dutch Resistance during World War II, what she would tell Jews or Ukrainians if she could travel back to that time. “Her response surprised me: ‘Keep your eyes open, look for the truth, don’t be afraid to speak up, keep the faith and trust in God.’”

Excellent advice all around.

In the event of an attempted radical coup in the United States, which some now think a possibility, or to prepare for the chaos that may follow November’s election, we should own weapons, know how to use them, and be willing to use them. We should store survival essentials in our homes – everything from water to canned and dried foods – and then be ready in our hearts to take a stand for freedom. We should ferret out the truth of things rather than automatically believing the mainstream media, speak for that truth when we can, and for the believers among us, keep our faith in God.

Acosta offers some solid advice in her article about how to prepare for a coming shake-up. Now let me add my own thoughts on how to prevent or fight against a communist coup.

Bombard politicians at all levels of government with letters, emails, and phone calls. Your child’s school is closed for the fall? Contact the officials who made that decision and unleash on them. Your mayor has allowed weeks of riots and protests, causing millions of dollars in property damage? Send an email voicing your rage.

Right now many progressive leaders are leading the charge to “fundamentally” change our country while conservative members of Congress and our state and local governments often appear gutless or bemused. Let them hear your voice.

Double check all the news you read before you buy into it. Your political persuasion doesn’t matter – conservative, progressive, radical. Before you accept any news story as true, find at least two other independent reports that confirm that story. The mainstream media, particularly television, selects the news they wish you to hear, and then twists it into a narrative suitable for the editors and reporters.

Sometimes even that cross-checking can be a waste of time and effort. Coronavirus provides the perfect example. The number of cases, the number of deaths, and the developments of vaccines and effective treatments: contradictions are everywhere. We often hear the expression “The science says…” but the science in this case has gone missing in action, a casualty of misinformation and politics.

Decide the truth for yourself.

Embrace the normal wherever you can find it. When I sit in the late afternoons on the patio of the house I am tending in Virginia, I can hear the hoots and laughter of neighbor children and teenagers playing in a recently installed swimming pool. Their exuberance gladdens my heart.

Let’s celebrate life even in the midst of our present chaos.

Keep a sense of humor in the midst of the ridiculous. This one is tough for me, because the drumbeat of absurdities that greet me every morning on my online news sites is depressing.

For example, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued new regulations requiring that bars must serve “substantive foods” to customers who want only a cocktail or a beer. He decreed that “chicken wings” don’t qualify as substantive foods, which means the meal I shared with my grandchildren last week wouldn’t bring me a gin-and-tonic in a Manhattan tavern. Can the governor please explain for the enfeebled among us what this measure has to do with coronavirus? And can he explain why he is indulging in such trivialities while parts of New York City are being destroyed and the murder rate is skyrocketing?

Associations of encouragement. Multitudes of Americans, including myself, are at times afflicted with gloom over the plagues of disease and riot inflicted on our country in the last five months. Some may feel isolated as well, which deepens our depression.

To fight that darkness, we must seek out like-minded folks among our family, friends, and neighbors who also understand where this madness is leading us, and gather with them to regain a sense that we are not alone and that the crazies do not include us. When we live near these people, we should make pacts pledging our assistance and loyalty to one another in times of trouble. We should also get together with such people for suppers and parties, seeking laughter and gaiety as antidotes to the ugliness of our age.

Numbers and unity give us the strength and willpower to resist attacks on the country we love.

Are we undergoing a radical revolution in our country, abetted by some of our politicians? I hope not.

But like Judith Acosta, I think we should hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

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