Good morning –

It was the American pastor William Watkinson said it is “far better to light the candle than to curse the darkness.” I reflect today on the importance of patriots diligently setting metaphorical bonfires in this dark time.

First, here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Friday, November 13, 2020
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• We had a great time this week hanging out with the amazing folks at the True Texas Project’s Tarrant, Denton, and Dallas county chapters. They do activism right!
     
• If you’re interested in in having one of us from the Texas Scorecard team address your group, club, or organization, schedule us today!

• In this year’s presidential election, Texas voters faced a confusing array of new voting rules and procedures rushed into place due to concerns about the Chinese coronavirus..
   
• Erin Anderson reports the confusion was as hard on front-line poll workers as it was citizens. She spoke with grassroots activist and election judge Felicia Cravens about the problems and solutions.
   
• Election integrity reform tops the legislative agenda of the Republican Party of Texas and is a key plank in the Lone Star Agenda.
   
• “Unless we do these things, unless we fight for good, clear, honest, fair processes, and do so consistently, we have only ourselves to blame for this mess.” – Felicia Cravens

• “So, if Trey Trainor, the Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, says voter fraud is taking place, a) why is this not being covered, and b) why is Twitter calling allegations of fraud ‘disputed’?” – James Wood

• Appearing on a radio show in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was coy about his presidential aspirations. He told 660AM’s Mark Davis that “I take one step at a time, and the first step is to win re-election. And after that, Mark, we’ll see what happens.”
        
• Obviously, Abbott would not be the first Texas governor to make a presidential bid. Were he to enter the race in 2024, he would be following the footsteps of his immediate predecessors—George W. Bush and Rick Perry. Brandon Waltens has more details.

• The Texan reports 36 gun-related bills have been pre-filed so far by Texas lawmakers ahead of the 2021 legislative session. Of those, only eight have been filed by Republicans.
      
• That cannot be good...
      
• “The other 28 gun bills that have been pre-filed thus far all come from Democrats and focus on measures to regulate firearms more strictly,” writes Daniel Friend.
       
• Among other things, the DEM measures would enact red-flag laws for gun confiscation and ban the sale of “high-capacity” magazines.

• The Dallas City Council has approved their agenda for the 2021 Texas Legislature, which notably excludes citizen concerns like lowering property taxes. Robert Montoya reports on what the Democrat-run council members will be advocating for in Austin... and how they organize together against citizens.
   
• Sources have reported to Texas Scorecard the Dallas City Council is preparing to spend $200,000 of taxpayer money on lobbyists, and will vote on it December 9.

• On the new episode of the Liberty Cafe, Bill Peacock explains why government efforts to “protect” us usually leads to oppression.
   
• Check out Texas Scorecard’s suite of podcast offerings on our website.

Friday Reflection

Even though there is no record he said it, many people attribute to the American patriot Sam Adams the phrase, “It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.”

It may be a spurious citation, but I think Sam Adams probably would have agreed with the sentiment.

The idea contained in that quotation is a simple one, with examples scattered throughout ancient and modern history. That is, perhaps, why the saying has such staying power: we know instinctively it is true.

Yet in modern politics we have allowed ourselves to be told, and even believe, the opposite. We’re expected to believe a majority must be on our side to prevail before we even get started. Polls are used and abused to tell us to ignore our beliefs, because no one else shares them and we’re doomed to fail.

And maybe the naysayers are right, in the moment. After all, no great effort to right a perceived injustice or reform a corrupt system ever began with a majority. It began with a good idea nonetheless abhorred by many.

Let me here make a simple observation, and take a swipe at one of the conservative movement’s favorite sayings. It comes from the French poet Victor Hugo and goes like this: “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

In fact, almost everything is more powerful than a good idea. Good ideas die all the time. And they die because the originator of the idea either assumed it would be recognized on its face and adopted by all who beheld it... or was intimidated by the work of making it real.

What propels forward good ideas isn’t much different than what it takes to start a fire with a bit of flint and steel: a lot of persistent effort. Let’s be honest: it’s actually hard work to engage with our friends and family. We risk scorn and rejection.

Yet it is also immensely rewarding. One lit match might illuminate a step or two for a minute, but blazing bonfires can turn night into day.

With a “tireless minority” keenly at work, we can push against the darkness and illuminate the lives of our countrymen. It’s up to us. So regardless of who said it, let’s get busy setting those fires! Our republic needs the light now more than ever.

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My own weekly podcast – Reflections on Life & Liberty – is available on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio.