September 23, 2023, marked CHQ Chairman Richard A. Viguerie’s 90th birthday. Over the
weekend the conservative movement celebrated the event with a grand dinner, featuring keynote remarks by Kellyeanne Conway and Mr. Viguerie, and a picnic at Manassas Battlefield Park, where Mr. Viguerie was presented with a replica cannon to memorialize the Civil War history of his Rappahannock County farm, and one of his favorite exhortations to the conservative movement:
“March towards the sound of the cannons in defense of Western Civilization and America’s liberty and prosperity.”
There will be other events throughout the week, and we here at CHQ will share video and audio as it becomes available. As part of the celebration, we will also share highlights of Mr. Viguerie’s books and articles in a series of “the wit and wisdom of Richard A. Viguerie” articles.
We’re going to start by sharing one of Mr. Viguerie’s favorite Bible passages and by highlighting one of his recent speeches.
We are engaged in a battle for the soul of our beloved Nation. Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Mr. Viguerie’s Remarks Upon Receiving the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award at The Faith and Freedom Conference
For the full video of Mr. Viguerie’s remarks and Ralph Reed’s very kind introduction please click this link.
Here is a quick summary of Mr. Viguerie’s remarks broadcast through the Twitter video platform. We hope you will watch it, take inspiration and Retweet it.
And finally, here’s the short “bumper sticker” version of Mr. Viguerie’s remarks: The Left has declared a spiritual civil war in America, it is time for conservatives to run to the sound of the guns.
The full text of Mr. Viguerie’s remarks follows:
Ralph, I can’t think of the words to adequately express my gratitude for this great honor. I am very humbled.
To receive the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award and have my name appear alongside Phyllis Schlafly, Beverly LaHaye, Bill Bennett, and Drs. Jim Dobson and Pat Robertson is something of dreams.
And when I wake up from this dream, Ralph, I’m not giving it back.
In the few minutes I’ve been given this evening, I want to impart one big idea that’s necessary to save the America we know and love.
The leadership of every major institution in America is arrayed against our views and values and they are all involved in censoring news and information, including Big Media, Big Tech, Hollywood, entertainment, national radio and TV, the nonprofit community, the legal community, higher and lower education, Big Business, Wall Street, unions, organized religion, etc. The list even includes our own government – FBI, CIA, IRS, DOJ.
In the 1960s through the 1990s, there was a cultural war raging, but most conservatives were not aware of it, and we lost the cultural war. You’re not likely to win a war you don’t even know you’re in.
Today, it’s important to recognize we’re in a SPIRITUAL CIVIL WAR that the Left has launched against Western Civilization, America, our Constitution, traditional Judeo-Christian moral values and much else we value and hold dear. Unfortunately, the enemy -- Socialists are winning.
What’s to be done?
1st and most important Pray
2nd get engaged and help lead. On April 19, 1775 in Lexington and Concord shots were fired that were heard around the world and the fight for our freedom from Great Britain was on.
There was something important about that day you may not be aware of.
By the end of that day, thousands of patriots had joined the fight firing at the various troops behind trees and stone walls.
But no military leaders gave orders – no one was in charge.
Every patriot was a leader that day.
They each rushed to the sound of the guns.
Don’t wait for instructions from Ralph Reed, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson, or your favorite congressman. Rush to the sound of the guns you hear in your community, town, county, state, or nationally.
Pick yourself to lead. In 2004, Barack Obama self-described himself as a Community Organizer. Five years later that Community Organizer was president of the United States. People didn’t beat down his door urging him to run for president. He picked himself. In 2015, a businessman with no prior government experience, Donald Trump, picked himself to run for president – 20 months later, he was also president of the United States.
Today, our tools are not the muskets of the April 19, 1775 Patriots, but rather our voices, phones, email, talk radio, blogs, podcasts, cable TV, websites, videos, social media, and nonprofit organizations, such as Faith and Freedom Coalition.
Because the leadership of most all major forms of communication/news are censoring conservative news and information, each of us needs to rise to the occasion and become modern-day Paul Reveres.
Look at what Ralph Reed and others have done at Faith and Freedom Coalition.
Faith and Freedom Coalition punches far above its weight. They operate in the heavyweight division.
And so can you, using the new and alternative media.
Professor Harry Jaffa said in 2014: “Western Civilization survives because of America. America survives because of the conservative movement.”
I’ve added: “The conservative movement survives because of a few hundred conservative leaders, activists, donors.”
And many are in this room tonight.
Each of us owes it to our children, grandchildren, and generations unborn to get out of our comfort zone each day and become the leaders we’ve been waiting for.
Courage is contagious. Courage is infectious. Courage begets courage.
So, when you show courage and step out and provide leadership, it will encourage your family members, friends, neighbors, and others to follow and also lead.
Some can financially help existing effective conservative organizations and institutions.
Others can start new conservative organizations.
Some can become political candidates.
Some can support new nonprofits or political candidates.
And others can mentor those who lead nonprofits or become candidates.
Lawyers, accountants, businessmen and women can volunteer their expertise to organizations or political candidates.
Some can mentor young people who are leaders or activists.
Others can start a blog. Start with sending copies of your blog to family, friends, and neighbors, then you’ll see it grow into the hundreds or thousands.
Maybe you can Tweet.
Some can forward articles, videos, etc. to 25-50-100 family, friends, neighbors, fellow church members, etc.
All of us can be leaders.
All of us must do some of these things.
To quote Ronald Reagan “If not us, who? If not now, when.”
People – we’ve got a country to save, and it starts with each of us.
Thank you again Ralph, thank you, Faith and Freedom Coalition– for the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award. I’m humbled and greatly appreciative.
Goodnight ladies and gentlemen. See you on the battlefield. And don’t be late.
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