Defining MAGA and Your Beliefs (blog)

After having a discussion with my older son who is 20 about the MAGA movement, it made me realize that we have let the establishment define who we are rather than defining who we are ourselves. My son was pointing out that there are things in US history that were not great and that for certain people, bringing that back would be very bad. What this meant was that the view of MAGA that is being portrayed by the establishment (legacy media, politicians, etc.) is that it means people who support it want to bring back everything from the past US history, including many of the bad events and actions. They are controlling the narrative of what MAGA means and through their definition, making it into a monster that people should be against. Those of us who have views counter to the establishment need to define what our beliefs are and not let these forces make that definition for us.

Regarding MAGA, in my mind, MAGA means bringing back things that worked in the past but avoiding the things that failed or left people behind. This would be like a smaller national government, stronger family units, and more freedoms based on what is in the Constitution. It would not be things that suppressed certain communities though. It involves positive actions that help everyone. There are systems, such as welfare that have been a disaster for this country and needs to be fundamentally changed.

In general, we need to take ownership of who we are and what we stand for. Avoid letting others make those definitions for us. Allowing this causes us to lose control of the discussion. Do not simply respond to the way that the establishment characterizes us, but make those definitions ourselves.

We need to remain focused on positive change in order to make things better for the US. Having control of who and what we are will allow our message to be understood by those who are open to listening. By working together, we can Make America Great Again for everyone.