The Convoy, Friends, Disrespect, Chattanooga’s Decline & Determination [Brandon’s Brain – Issue #2]

Last Thursday night, I attended the American Freedom Convoy – and it was an inspiring event.

The weather was perfect, the people were friendly and the message was clear: We the people are fed-up with our freedoms being trampled, especially by our own political party. More on that later…

The “Swamp Fox” Van

When I was a boy, Dad drove a gold-colored, short-wheel-based dodge van. On this van, was spray-painted an intricate mural of a fox’s face staring out at you. Behind him was a scene of what I can only describe as a Louisiana swamp – complete with alligators lounging by the river.

Above the head of the fox, in scrolling, decorative lettering it read… “Swamp Fox.” My father drove a truck for few years. I don’t know much about the details, but his CB handle was “Swamp Fox.”

Apparently, we wanted to immortalize that handle on this van.

Inside the van was plush, shag carpet. When you opened the door from the side, there was a full bar – complete with running water. Turning to the left was a heart-shaped entrance to a bed or lounge area of sorts. On the ceiling was a lighted sign that read “The Ball Room.”

This van was also complete with heart-shaped exterior windows and two bumper stickers I must have read a thousand times. The one on the front said, “CB’ers Do It on the Air” and on the rear bumper it read “If the Van’s a Rockin’ Don’t Come Knockin’”

I’m fairly certain I was conceived in this van.

If your kids or grandkids ever complain about being embarrassed when you drop them off at school, tell them about my situation… Maybe they’ll feel better about theirs.

In this van was a CB radio. I used to talk to the truckers on it when it was parked in our chirtrock driveway. I could only get them for a few miles on the main highways – which was quite a piece down the road. They were always pleasant enough to talk to and they seemed to get a kick out me.

Aside from my father’s buddy, Igor, who drives a truck, I don’t know if I’ve talked to many truckers recently – I mean really talked to them – until last Thursday.

Truckers are in a unique situation to gauge the condition of the nation – and the differences they observe state-to-state. If you’ve never travelled non-stop for work, it’s hard to describe the experience of being in a different state – or multiple states – every single day of your life.

If I could summarize what Andrew told me, it’s basically this: “All this oppression of liberty and freedom is harming our people and how they treat each other.” I would say his chief complaint was just about as much cultural as political – in fact I would say it is more so.

And, he’s right. In fact, he’s been right all along. Too bad it took our leaders two years to catch up to him. Maybe we need to send more truckers to Washington and Nashville…

Seeing My Friends

On Thursday, I got to see a TON of friends who subscribe or follow the Tennessee Conservative. It was super encouraging and I appreciate all the kind words of support. While I enjoy getting to know people though email and social media, it’s a pale substitute for a hug or handshake.

I love seeing people, talking with them, joking with them – you name it. If given a chance, I will bend your ear until it hurts on issues of liberty and how we are to perpetuate it.

Most of my days are necessarily spent in front of a computer screen. I don’t like it. However, it is necessary to bring you the news and keep my other business going at the same time.

Life is lived better face-to-face. However, every job has aspects that are necessary evils. Tele-communicating is one of them for me.

In addition to seeing a lot of friends, I think I may have advanced a few things that will helps us get on more solid footing here at the Tennessee Conservative. Time will only tell…

Ok, here comes the politics…

The Most Disrespectful Thing I’ve Seen In Recent Memory…

Usually, politicians are practiced feigning interest and agreement. To be fair, it’s probably a survival mechanism given the multitude of viewpoints on any given issue.

Politics 101 is “letting people be heard through the proper channels.” They encourage you to go through the proper channels because they control the proper channels – and they are quite certain the proper channels will not get you anywhere.

The Chair of the Health Subcommittee, Bob Ramsey, could not have been more smug and arrogant if given he had been coached on it during a hearing this week. Doctors and constituents and driven and even flown in to testify on behalf of the Patients’ Bill of Rights.

Representative Warner was promised they would be heard. Instead, they were profoundly and publicly disrespected by the committee and its members. No one would even second the motion that they be head for a whopping 10 minutes.

You can read about it here. You can even watch the video.

Now, here’s the thing: This was not a meeting about potholes.

This was a meeting about family members dying from lack of medical choice – and loved ones not being there when their family members died. So, it’s like a sensitive subject.

If you want a picture of how deeply in debt this committee is to the lobbyists, PACs and social interest groups of the Tennessee Medical Complex, this is a prime example.

It’s a sad embarrassment.

Decline of the Not-So-Scenic City

I have been a cheerleader for Chattanooga for years, recruiting friends to relocate here. I love this city. Love it.

I live in the urban center about three houses off a major throughfare in Brainerd in the Belvoir Community. I can be anywhere in 7 minutes and get anything – product or service – in a 25-minute round-trip. From Hamilton Place to Downtown, it’s all right here.

Over the past 9 years, I have watched our city decline rapidly.

Trash litters the streets. We have built up a homelessness industry here that attracts not only those in need, but those who are not. Our Mayor and City Council have been so permissive about vagrancy, panhandling and loitering that many residents and businesses are simply packing up and leaving.

I’m one of them.

Crime is on the rise. At my office, I’ve had to call the police to collect one stolen car and one stolen motorcycle within the past 18 months. Recently, someone broke into a tenant’s back lot – attempting to steal a trailer.

For some reason, our city leaders care more about the able-bodied bums and gangbangers more than they do the tax-payers and property owners. It perplexes me.

You would think Democrats could look at cities who have gone down this road and realize where it leads. Apparently, they can’t. They do not enforce any of the laws that are on the books to prevent this decline in quality of life for city residents – at least not for the productive ones.

We have a few City Council members who do not like this. They voice their concerns from time to time, but no one is making a public stink about it. And for the life of me I cannot understand why.

The saddest part of being a Conservative is watching good things be ruined. Things that you care about. Things that are unique and precious.

Our city is one of those things. I hope our leadership will wake up and realize this soon.

Determination

Whenever you start something new, it is awful. You make a ton of mistakes. You may even build something on a foundation that has to be ripped out and replaced – while the building must remain standing and functional.

It’s a tricky business.

We are discovering, I think, that our donation platform may not be compatible with our website. The website was built, to be honest, in haste. Things were so terrible during the lockdowns, I simply had to get something going to fight back. There wasn’t any time for months of research.

As such, we host our news on a website that frankly isn’t meant for the traffic it sees. You have probably noticed that it isn’t the easiest to navigate – it seems to magically “break” now and again.

It’s frustrating and a tad embarrassing.

Over the next few months, it is my intention to begin fundraising in earnest – the old-fashioned way – to fix this and several other issues. I would already have done this, but my other business, which makes money, eats my lunch for about 4-5 months out of the year.

We’re also about to launch and advertising opportunity – which is long overdue.

Though I’m not sure exactly who will take us up on the offer. Certainly not any liberal publications.

So, if you’re interested, reply to this email and let me know.

Also, I’ll take your money. Like, the folding kind, if you click here. Lord, we need it.

You may think a small monthly donation would not make a difference, but they are finally starting to add up. And for that, I am thankful.

I’m no Rockefeller…

The Weekend Report

This is, I know, the part you’ve been waiting for…

Friday night, I watched my little darlin’s while Mama went to dinner with her lady friends. She’s fell in with a good group of freedom-loving chicks that I think are pretty cool.

I may take them out to eat, which is my pattern of behavior. Maybe the Acropolis. I’m not sure.

Tomorrow I slave away working until lunch, but intend to hit the pool if I can – it’s still heated this time of year at the gym. My oldest loves it and it is a standing warm-weather tradition.

If possible, I’m going to go check out the new place. Lord, progress is S_L_O_W… The bills are going to give me a heart attack. Could I have picked a worse time to build?

15 years I’ve waited… and this is the year I picked. Geez-damn-Louise.

Sunday, we’ll go to services and then visit with one of my very best friends and his family, who also happens to be a great political mind – and a musical, historical sage of sorts. Though I would never tell him that as it would give him a big head.

We’ll, that’s all folks.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend too.

Enough politics. Let’s go live a little bit.

In love and FREEDOM,

Brandon Lewis
The Tennessee Conservative