Brandon Straka and J-6

 #Walkaway is one of those organizations that is blocked by social media mafia because it accepts all--gay, straight, trans, drag queens, black, white, brown, those living outside the U.S., Christian, Jew, Hindu, bakers and candlestick makers--all who want to walk away from the lies of the Democrat party. Brandon Straka, the founder, who is gay, was sentenced to 3 years of probation after being swept up in the gulag net after J-6, for speaking at a rally before J-6. I considered him a political prisoner. No one burning federal and state buildings or destroying businesses in the 2020 riots that affected hundreds of blue cities received the harsh treatment of those the government snared in the protest of the outcomes of the November 2020 election. Those people are free to loot and burn again, and even if arrested for current crimes they will be back on the streets the next day.

Where are the Walk-aways?

The walk away campaign, crushed by Big Tech, was probably the most multi-cultural, diverse and interesting political group on Facebook (and maybe other platforms). I learned a lot about the challenges of people who are trans, gay, disabled, very rich, very poor, black, Latino, victims of violence, over educated and under educated. What an amazing group telling their stories of coming to the fresh air of conservatism after years of being trapped by the left.

Often the reason was that their own "community" to say nothing of lover or family, had deserted them when they began to question the obvious -- Marxism, lying candidates, lies about Trump, the swamp creatures, etc. If you're already in a group that has been tested and tried for being different, it's a huge blow to have them turn on you because you THINK FOR YOURSELF! Also, many got to that point by doing their own research when they notice obvious failings in their Democrat party.

I didn't read every post, but they were usually sincere and autobiographical on why they walked away after voting years for Clinton or Obama, or Bernie. The non-citizen posts from other countries were particularly poignant and encouraging as they had their own battles with political correctness.

But the Left, those guys who like to talk about "my truth," couldn't take it. Brandon, a former gay hairdresser with a knack for offering hope, and his 500,000 followers (plus probably that many who just read their stories about walking away from the Democrats) have been de-platformed, jailed, silenced or whatever you want to call it.

Brandon was a huge Trump supporter. Not all his walk away members were and they didn't claim to be Republicans. They all had in common that Democrats had lied to them year after year and nothing ever changed. For whatever reason, Trump brought them changes in jobs, attitude and hope.

Collecting My Thoughts: The cost of walking away for Linda

Collecting My Thoughts: Why Donna left the Democrats—she didn’t—they left her

Collecting My Thoughts: Myrna walked away from the Democrat Party in 1988

Collecting My Thoughts: Why Andrea walked away from the Democrats

Collecting My Thoughts: Jim tells a familiar story about Democrat friends

Appreciating a haven for those who’ve left the Democrats

There’s a movement afoot to “walkaway” from the Democrat party.  Some of the millions who have done it have personal reasons—they were rejected by friends and family for asking sensible questions about the goals of the party. This was an interesting, well written posting on Facebook.

“You know, one thing I really grew to appreciate over the last election season was reading the #walkaway stories. They were from everywhere. They were the classic tapestry that is America. They were from all walks of life, races, creeds, faith experiences and sexual orientations. The common thread is that they wanted to stand together in the goal of betterment for all.

75 million people chose to stand together. You will never convince me that anywhere near that number hung together as a coalition for Biden/Harris Basement Campaign and if they did, they were not paying attention to the back door deals that were being made along the way. I love you all [members of the Walkaway movement].  I pray blessings on each of you.

But just know that this election was about so much more than Trump. It was about deposing Washington Swamp Politics. They tried everything in their power to get rid of Trump because he did not play by their rules. I wish he had tweeted less. Gosh, I wish someone had taken away his phone.  But he got a lot of important things done. If you don’t agree, no need to educate me. I actually read a lot. The truth is, Hillary was “supposed” to win and Trump got in their way. They fought and challenged and subverted and lied and impeached to no avail for 4 years.

Then they made sure they cheated well enough to claim a victory for a man whose rallies could not draw flies. Although the courts have turned away cases, they have not disputed the cheating. They have only refused to make a ruling. The courts are not going to do that. So between now and January 20, 2021, I hope President Trump will continue to press forward and fight the good fight. He has cut taxes, secured our borders, strengthen trade agreement , implemented tariffs, strengthened funding for HBCU’s, spearheaded a COVID mobilization that has us months if not years beyond what the naysayers told us. He brokered many peace deals and has been nominated for 3 Nobel Peace Prizes.

The left will be pressing Joe to undo everything. And yeah, that makes me sad. I’ve always identified as Republican, but I have realized after this cycle that R’s and D’s are not that different. You just pick the lesser of the evils and pray they don’t sell you out as soon as their office is assigned to them. And the media are Oh ever so willing to feed you the Company line. Their 6 to 7 figure salaries are secure so long as they read the appropriate talking points. They call people like myself names, say we’re stupid and uninformed, all the while, covering up the fact that the only Russia collusion was Democrat purchased, the only Ukrainian scandal which led to the impeachment mess was about Hunter and the media covered that up.

And this is what makes me sad. When you read the Walkaway stories, they were people who saw the power of unity as Americans voting for the love of One Country United. They were able to set aside their difference for love of Country. They didn’t like the idea of violent summers and freedoms compromised. Nothing scary. Just a lot of people working together to make things better for us all. So although I always saw myself as a Walkwith, I guess I am a Walkaway, too. My heart breaks for what we are losing and what should have been. God help us. I really pray please God, help us. This was a moment in time when we had a chance to improve the lives of so many and it was stolen. It breaks my heart. It really does. (Stanla Finley)

The cost of walking away for Linda

“Leaving the Democratic Party has not been easy. It's not been just like going to the voting booth and closing that curtain and voting privately. It has cost many people family and relationships. That's how much the liberals hate President Trump. They don't have a clue that it isn't President Trump drawing us away, but rather their disgusting behavior pushing us away. That's what it was for me.

When I saw Hilary Clinton on the platform with all those other celebrities calling themselves Nasty Women, I changed parties after being a Democrat almost 40 years. I didn't want to be identified with them . . .especially after all of the other things Hilary Clinton had done.

It's difficult at times. It has caused alienation from so many members of my family. We still talk when we see each other, but are no longer close. You wouldn't think that it was possible, but that is how deeply the hatred runs for President Trump through the liberals. My two daughters have stopped talking to me at times. And the thing is . . I don't discuss politics with them. They will hear something the President did and get angry with me because I voted for him. It's "all my fault."  . . . Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but I believe the Republican Party is on the right side. The Republican Party protects the life of unborn babies and so far, they have protected our constitutional rights to own a gun. Also, they believe in closed borders. I've never regretted that I walked away.”

Why Donna left the Democrats—she didn’t—they left her

“Today I was asked why I moved politically, from center left, too hard right. My response was, I didn’t move. Nothing about my political belief system has changed. I still have a live and let live approach to life. I still believe who you sleep with or marry is your own business. I still believe in equality for all. I still believe the 2nd amendment is what levels the playing field and keeps us safe from threats both internal and external. I still have no religious beliefs but aren’t bothered by yours. I still believe social programs are vital but abused. I haven’t changed, they have.

They went from live and let live, to live the way I want you to or not at all. They decided equality isn’t really what they’re asking for now. Equality almost always equals some sort of special treatment they feel they’re owed and rarely has anything to do with equal treatment. They decided that there’s something inherently wrong with me because I was born white and I’m somehow responsible for every evil deed any white person throughout history has ever committed but will receive none of the credit for any of the accomplishments, not that I’d be any more deserving of accolades for someone else Accomplishments then I am for blame for their misdeeds. They have constantly and repeatedly over the years claim they are not trying to take away our guns while trying to take away our guns one baby step at a time. They have become the party of bullying, name-calling, harassment, and absolutely no tolerance for anything that doesn’t fit their agenda.

Nothing about me has changed.”

Myrna walked away from the Democrat Party in 1988

“I was raised in a Democrat household. We even have pictures of my older sister in diapers with Roosevelt election buttons all over it (1940). That's how strongly my family followed the Democrat Party in the 1940s.

I married my husband in 1965, and he was a Republican, thanks to one of his college professors, who was also a TV news commentator. My father could not understand how a young man, who isn't wealthy, is a Republican. So, for years, I remained a Democrat, even though my husband was a Republican. But I did listen to some of the things my husband said.

Fast forward to 1976. My husband and I became Amway distributors. Amway was a short name for the American Way. Of course we went to rallies and heard both Rich DeVos (Betsy's father in law) and Jay Van Andel. They were Dynamic and inspiring, mostly because they were telling the truth about America, free enterprise, working hard, and lifting up your fellow man, while lifting yourself up at the same time. I had never heard some of those ideas expressed like that before, and they really got into my American heart and mind. I fell in love with the Code of Ethics and Rules of Conduct of that company, which caused me to join, aside from the products and inspiring speeches. That company was a pure American ideal and I loved it. But still, I remained a Democrat.

Now it was 1988, and the Democrat Party had their convention. When I watched the small group bring forth the name of Jesse Jackson, an extortionist, to be their choice for nominee for president, that's when I had had enough. I mentally walked away, physically re-registered as Republican, and have never looked back.

Seeing how the Democrat Party has morphed into what it is today, or actually exposed itself for what it has always been, I believe I did the right thing. I will never go back. “

Why Andrea walked away from the Democrats

Andrea voted for Obama twice, but didn't like Trump and didn't vote in 2016:

“Meanwhile, I watched the left ... just ... lose it.

I saw a party that once believed in restrictions on abortion go full-on-pro-baby-killing.

A party that used to believe in protecting women's opportunities now forcing women's sports teams to allow men to compete as trans.

A party that used to believe in securing our borders now encouraging people to break the law and bum rush our gates and attack ICE agents.

I saw identitarian social justice warriors emerge as the authoritarian thought police and start terrorizing anyone who challenged them.
I saw people that I used to admire advocate for the kind of political censorship and violence against dissenters that typifies a fascist dictatorship, all the while calling ME a fascist for defending the first amendment!!!

That's when I realized what hateful people the Democrats were becoming. I also began to see what their tax-and-spend policies were really doing to the country, their plan to turn us into a socialist economy, their constant race-baiting, their conspiracy theories, their kowtowing to Islamists, their trying to buy votes and destroy the electoral college ... not to mention the LIES told by the media about the president and conservatives in general... and I decided NO MORE!!!

If this is what liberalism is now, I want no part of it!!! "
from #Walkaway”

When Mark walked away, guest blogger

“So, I walked away in the 80s. Before, I had been a raging liberal. Born and raised in DC, so politics was in my blood. What caused me to question the Democrat party was that I had a small screen printing business in college. Printed a lot of local band shirts as well as some political shirts that I sold during rallies at the mall. Mostly conservation stuff as I was deeply involved in Sierra Club. I printed "Flaming Liberal" shirts for the DNC and printed shirts for the National Coalition to Ban Handguns. One of my shirts even made it into People Magazine. (see below). So, I had just printed a bunch of shirts for DNC rally and went into their office to get paid. The director at the time, I forget his name, Michael something or another, asked me if I wanted to donate the shirts to the "cause". I said, "I already do 'em cheap, and I need to eat, so not really."

He then told me that my contribution would be greatly appreciated by not only them, but by other organizations in town.  I got a little nervous. Asked him what he meant, and he said that the DNC has long fingers in the lobbying groups in DC and it would be a shame if I found myself without clients. I asked him if this was a threat, to which he denied. I asked him how I was supposed to eat and he said that I could make more money off social services than printing shirts.

Well, I told him no, and that I had delivered 250 shirts and expected to get paid. He had someone write me a check and I left. The whole thing unnerved me. The next day, the director of the National Coalition to Ban Handguns called me and said that my services were no longer needed. I also had a bunch of shirts for sale at a local liberal bookstore and was told that I couldn't sell there anymore. At the time, I was also doing all the design and layout for the Sierra Club's Legal Action newsletter, which ended just as abruptly. I was creating posters for a group called "Liberation Graphics", mostly pro PLO stuff and pro Sandanista stuff. Yeah, that ended too.

The next day I went back to the DNC and asked what the heck they were doing to me and why? I was told to leave or they'd call the police. I was told that I couldn't be trusted. I remember so clearly the following week was the Rock against Reagan at the Washington monument. I was into punk (still am), so I wanted to make a statement. I first sent a certified letter to the DNC stating that any images of mine were not to be used in any print or video publications. This included my Flaming Liberal shirt. I then printed a bunch of them and overprinted "Destroy" in bright red. Took them to the rally and sold them to the "other side". I was amazed at how accepting Reagan supporters were to me when I told my story.

I lost a lot of friends that day, but made even more. I realized that the "cause" of the left wasn't anything more than money and an agenda. It took me a few years to fully embrace the right, but that day in the DNC opened my eyes. It was actually heart breaking to lose so much, so many friends, and to realize that I had basically been taken by the Democrats because I was young and stupid. I walked away and never looked back.”

Democrats—destroy small businesses before they can become capitalists.  Look at the larger scene and it’s done with regulations and taxation.

Lori—from Obama to Trump

She had never paid much attention to politics, but did vote for Obama his first term.  From the WalkAway Facebook page.

“One of the things that appealed to us about Obama was healthcare. We had a child with pre existing conditions and were paying a $600 per month additional premium on him. We wanted Obamacare and not to have to pay that extra premium anymore. Well, what a lie that turned out to be. Not only did the extra premium not go away for our child with a pre existing condition, but we had to pay more every month and it has steadily increased ever since!

We became small business owners during Obama’s first term and this is what really started opening our eyes to Democrats not being good for small business. We were providing jobs but being taxed to death and providing affordable healthcare for our employees is almost impossible. We did not vote for Obama his second term mainly for business and health care reasons, but still did not wise up that the media had a liberal agenda. What woke me up to the lefts true agenda was the Media when Trump announced his candidacy. I could not understand why the media was so hateful towards him. I just couldn’t believe the hate and why wasn’t the media being neutral?! I could not stand to watch the news because if it. I became a supporter of Trump early on because I agreed with everything he was saying.”

Identity politics—guest blogger Patti

I didn't see this one by Patti York when it first appeared in November. . .and thought her analysis of identity politics and being treated like a victim was worth sharing. Her points may give you strength to resist the "poor little me" feeling for the hate and anger you experience. I wouldn't go so far to say I love any president, whether Ike, Reagan or Trump, but I do admire the way Trump energizes and sticks up for the people the two parties have ignored and marginalized—especially the low income, blue collar and minorities. From the WalkAway website (for people who have left the Democrat Party).

"Hello, the turning point for me began in 2007. I was a hard left democrat. I almost voted for Obama, but my gut told me not to vote at all, so I used all of 2009 to vet him as a president and was not at all impressed. During his presidency I witnessed that my party was really not my party at all anymore. They were completely immersed in identity politics. There was no place for me as a visible lesbian who cut her teeth on "questioning authority". Not once in the last twelve years has any democrat ever spoken to me as an American first. They always tried to appeal to my gender or sexual orientation and ignored the fact that I am an American with just as many constitutional rights as any other American. I live in the NYC metropolitan area and people like me are hated for not being good little obedient hard left victims. It's a good thing that I have a thick skin, it has served me well. I love President Trump. He is the quintessential political under dog who soundly defeated 16 talented, seasoned politicians in the primary, then went on to destroy the Clinton cartel in spectacular fashion. He's a street fighter with brass knuckles, that never apologizes for his honesty. We are living in legendary times, just to have witnessed this."

Some interesting points of view of Walk Aways

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zRk68cLg_A  Dylan Roth, a Walk away from Evergreen University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KWMmvCDuA  Tracy Scott, a 48 year old black woman who had never voted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrUOFi4PoR0  First generation American, Latina,  who supports Trump because she believes Obama was a bad president and Democrats want her to be a victim.

Jim tells a familiar story about Democrat friends

At Walkaway on Facebook, Jim wrote: “My best friend has always been a Democrat. We have enjoyed many spirited debates over coffee or beers. In truth they have been more interesting because of our difference in opinion.

I'm a libertarian because of my political persuasion I have often exposed myself to both sides. In the run-up to the 2016 election it became more and more obvious that major news outlets no longer pretended to be impartial. Major headlines read more like something that should have been in the op-ed section.

During a visit home shortly after Trump won the election it had become obvious that politics was becoming a subject we would intentionally avoid. There seemed to be no reason to engage in such conversation. After all I listen to NPR and watched MSNBC and CNN. It was clear that his opinion was whatever the latest talking point happened to be. No independent gathering of facts or questioning of the information presented to him.

I voiced to him my concerns about the effects such propaganda in the media. His reply was something to the effect that you could "lock him in a room with Fox News for as long as you wanted and he would still be a liberal". It was clear that no matter how I presented the information he either was unable to or unwilling to see the truth.

Sadly since then our contact has dwindled away to almost non-existent. As I'm sure you've heard multiple stories similar to this one with family and friends.

It appears as though the propaganda media for the Democratic Party has done a good job of convincing otherwise intelligent people that anyone that disagrees with the current position of the Democratic Party is in some way immoral.(racist, homophobic, bigot, sexist, misogynist, xenophobic, and wealth hoarding Sadist).

I don't know how we can break this on the large-scale but you have my full support.

I walk with you Jim.”

From the inside—how she escaped the welfare trap

Tinker writes on Facebook:

“I have been a life long conservative (not to be confused as a Republican) because of how I watched the “system” take advantage of my mother’s propensity toward drugs, alcohol and terrible men. She had 5 children from 3 men (not husbands) and fed her addictions more than she fed her children. She would bring her destructive “love” relationships into the home and subject her kids to the inevitable destruction that was to be our “normal” way of living.

She was on every subsistence available to her, and learned how to game the system with precision. Welfare would occasionally call to schedule an appointment for a “welfare check” and with that handy little heads up, my mother would move her man’s clothes etc., out of the house so that it appeared to be just her, a poor pathetic abused woman, and her five hungry kids struggling to make ends meet. As a CHILD I saw that this was wrong and hopeless, but the checks kept coming . . .yet somehow life never got better.

My mom was never truly helped by any of these handouts, in fact quite the opposite. But more importantly, her children were absolutely never helped by this government “assistance “. It became a lifestyle, a career actually for my mother until the day she died at 39 due to a (rather short) lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse. She learned how to sell food stamps for cash, and work a waitressing job (for cash) while still collecting “government assistance “. And make no mistake, it’s a community. All of her friends were exactly the same, and all of their kids had the same look of despair as my mothers children.

I am so grateful, GRATEFUL that I somehow saw the reality of this cycle of abuse (and that’s what it is!) that was perpetrated on our family. I truly believe that the “system” saw all of us kids as future Democrats. I really do. I left home at 16, moved in with a friend and her family, finished high school and began building my own life. Happy in the struggle of it too because I knew I was free. Free from being held down by a system that promised to give me clothes and food if I would remain faithful to the system. No way!

Then for some reason, though my mother was anything but political, I was drawn to such things. In the 10th grade I was intrigued by Ronald Reagan. The media hated him, my teachers weren’t crazy about him and sometimes said the most awful things about him, but I just couldn’t believe these things were true of someone who had been elected by the people of America. My father had been in the army, my grandfather and uncle had served in the Air Force, so at heart, I was a patriot (I didn’t really know that term then), but I really loved America. So I began listening to Ronald Reagan, and then I wrote him a couple of letters. . . .and he wrote back! My first ability to vote was in his re-election, I was 19 and I couldn’t have been more proud to cast my vote for him.

My whole extended family (as I later learned) were blue blood Democrats, so I guess I defected from tradition without knowing it. We never openly discussed politics in my family. So, I can truly say that I have always been a conservative. Not because I was trained to be such, but because life’s struggles and lessons had shaped me in that direction, and I learned first hand the rewards of hard work. It just made sense to me.

I am also a woman who loves Jesus, I have since I was a very young girl. He is (quite literally) my Savior. I think it is SO IMPORTANT to know what you believe, and WHY you believe it. Because THAT is what makes us authentic, and real, right down to our soul. Our beliefs cannot simply be an “anthem” or some clever meme, they must reveal who we are and act as a compass, or we will crumble when the storms of life come blowing through, or fall for silver tongued politicians who say what our itching ears may want to hear.

Thank you Brandon [Walkaway campaign] for your courage, your honesty and most importantly, your willingness to use your life to help others in the struggle. Your interview with Mark Levin was captivating and raw and I found myself praying for you and thanking God for your strength and willingness to accept something that had been so contrary to your previous beliefs. Continue to shine your light of truth so that others can break free from the bonds of emotional entrapment which the Left has so skillfully kept them strapped to.

DC resident sees the culture wars up close

“I am a chiropractor, who has lived in the DC area for 35 years. During that time, I have had the opportunity to treat Generals, Colonels, employees of the CIA, the FBI, hundreds of government workers, as well as members of all of the branches of the military. I have never, in that time, encountered the intolerance, racism and hatred that exists in the Democratic party today. Some of my dearest friends are Liberals, and have been for years, and it is only recently that their sanctimony and animosity has gotten to the point that we can't have a civil conversation regarding our President. I kept quiet during President Obama's two terms, because I knew that if I had dared to disagree with him, I would have been labeled a racist. I am saddened by the 'soundbite nation' that we have become. Fact and truth seem to have no place in the Democratic Party, nor in the Liberal media, for that matter.”

(from the Walk Away site on Facebook)

She’s in the belly of the beast. . .

Susan couldn’t stand Trump. . . Obama disappointed, and she didn’t like Bush’s policies

“. . . In 2016 I was hoping Rand Paul would get the nomination. I was horrified that Trump was doing so well because I didn’t like his behavior. He didn’t have an intellectual approach to explain policy to the American people, and he was insulting to people around him. Although, I did like when he confronted Hillary Clinton with brutal honesty. Between Trump and Hillary I definitely preferred Trump. Hillary was a guaranteed disaster, but I felt with Trump it was 50/50. Since I live in California, I didn’t think a vote for Trump would matter so I voted for Johnson.

Now that I’ve watched Trump for two years, I am very happy with him. I like his position on border security, ideas on healthcare, criminal justice reform, getting out of TPP and other international treaties. He’s helped bring tentative peace to North Korea, lowered taxes- so many good things!

And, wow, does the media and crazy left have it out for him. It is downright scary what liars and manipulators the media talking heads are. It really does feel like a war for the soul of our country. I detest socialism and want free-markets for our country. Leftists who think Republicans are about racism and hate are deeply ignorant. They have let the TV lead them down the wrong path, away from common sense and decency. This walk away movement is a wonderful idea, there are a lot of people who need a new political home. I'm a conservative now and will be voting for Trump in 2020.”

German immigrant Sandra came after 9/11

“I am very much for immigration as I did this. I did the paperwork. I did the doctor visits. Blood work, chest x ray and physical. My mother had to give her financial info and so did my husbands family. Not really a pleasant thing to go through but I wanted to move here so I did all that was necessary to get it done. I stayed a “legal alien” for many years until I felt home was the US and not Germany anymore.

To see people cut in line and totally ignore the laws of this country really bothers me. It’s unfair and quite frankly super disrespectful to the people that you claim you want to live with.
America first is long overdo as I heard the “Ami get out” during the times I lived in Germany. They want your money and protection but not your presence or opinion. When crap goes down they want the US to come and clean it up. For free.

No, enough is enough.

I am tired of the lies told every day. We Trump supporters are not racist. As a matter of fact I only hear and see rich liberals pointing out skin color.

It’s a plan orchestrated for 2020. Let’s paint Trump as a racist and all his supporters will be ashamed and sadly frightened to wear their MAGA hats. It’s started people and the media only shows what they want us to see.

Stay positive, be kind, talk to family and friends. Lead by example. But call out the liars and expose them.”

From her Walk away post.

This is Diana’s story—a former liberal with a big heart—guest blogger

My story   . . .

I went to the most liberal university in my very liberal state and got myself a degree in sociology. I was a full believer in socialism and Bernie was my hero in 2016. I devoted my working life to helping people. My first job out of college I worked with families involved with the child welfare system hoping to help reunify them with education and advocacy. That system was a little messy and I felt like I could do more to help people so I began a job working with the homeless just before Trump was elected. More on that in a minute . . .

At this time I was studying the results of a socialized healthcare system in countries like the UK and Australia because as a supporter of universal healthcare I wanted to put my money where my mouth was and get the full story on how it would affect Americans. I wanted to be the open minded person I claimed I was. What I learned is that people were losing rights to make their own healthcare choices such as seeking alternative treatment for a child with a terminal illness. Police were barricading hospitals keeping people in. Overall the quality of care for patients was not as good and people had a lot less choices to sum it up. Only good thing was it was “free” if you don’t count the high taxes. I could certainly provide some examples to anyone interested in learning more about that though. Anyway, I realized what a disaster it would actually be for America and I couldn’t support it. I did what all grown up girls should do and admitted I was wrong. Hillary was a war criminal and my formerly leftist self would never have supported her anyway so I did the next best thing and voted for Donald Trump on 11/6/16. The next morning when I learned he had won I was overcome with a sense of RELIEF that I don’t know where it originated. I felt it was a sign.

Continuing on with my work “helping the homeless”. So I worked in a program that would essentially pay for people (anyone that could claim they were homeless) to get an apartment and pay their rent for a short time until they got on their feet. Except that never really happened. We would pay rent for people who flat out refused to work and make a living until they ended up either being given a permanent housing voucher (which they knew was coming) or they got evicted and would come back through the program again later. The program worked in a “collaboration” with other agencies in the area. But this “collaboration” was very political. You weren’t allowed to point out that the program was essentially wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars per MONTH. You were however asked to lobby at the capitol for more funding for these extremely poor performing programs. It was all a dog and pony show. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have hard feelings for the homeless. But the ideas that most people are fed about homelessness is actually a fraction of what it really is. The really vulnerable homeless people that required quality help were mostly addicts and severely mentally ill, but this comprised maybe 15% of the people we were serving. The rest were capable people who just kept making poor decisions and expecting more and more money to pick up the pieces. The most important lesson I learned here is that subsidies and vouchers and other types of government help don’t solve the problem of poverty. It enables and perpetuates it. This is something I never would have understood before, when I was walking around with my Feel The Bern hoodie on.

The last straw for me was seeing how the liberal media demonized each and every thing our president does! Even good things like criminal justice reform that they could have no basis for criticizing, they just simply don’t report on it. It’s disgusting. I didn’t really like Obama--he was a war criminal and a phony to me but if he did something good I gave him credit for it. And seeing all my friends and family who supposedly believed in love and tolerance and understanding, demonizing people who voted for our president. I volunteered for my state GOP this past year and I was called racist, anti-LGBTQ, anti-women’s rights, etc. JUST for being a registered Republican! People suddenly just seemed so deranged to me. I could go on forever about this really so I’m gonna stop here but I plan to make a blog post about my walk away story and will link it here when I do!

Grandma told me to vote for the Democrats

A montage of black members of the Walkaway movement. It will take about 35 minutes.  I prefer the individual testimonies, but this was a lot of work!

Many point out the conservative values they were taught in church didn’t match up with what the Democrats were promoting.

https://youtu.be/NNvBpXzKG2E

 

 

Josee Eric walked away from the Democrats—will vote for Trump in 2020

“I was born and raised in California, San Mateo to be exact. I grew up in a Latino household and surrounded by other Latinos. Like in most cases, most people surround themselves with their own race. If I did not fit in with Latinos, where would I fit in? So naturally, I'd try to act and involve myself with other Latinos. As a legal citizen, I thought it was my duty to help them out.

As I've stated, I grew up in California. Not only was I being influenced by Latinos, but by Democrats as well. They always told me that everyone was created equal, they were going to help Latinos, everyone deserves to be here, etc. I never had a chance to do anything I believed was right because if it they found it wrong, I'd be shamed by democrats or within my Latino community. I had to follow the flow.

Fast forward to 2016, when Donald Trump was running for president. I was taught by those surrounding me that Donald Trump was evil and was racist against Mexicans. The mainstream media, such as Univision, misinformed me and made it seem as Jorge Ramos was standing up for us. As a senior in high school, I believed every word. I did not vote simply because I was too lazy, but I would have voted for Hillary Clinton.

When Donald Trump was elected president, my dance teacher, made it seem like a bad thing. She told us, "I know you're all scared, but we will push through this." She's a nice teacher, so I don't want to look down on her or even offend her out of respect; hence, why I'll stop it at that. I started seeing Democrats on TV being violent almost immediately, I saw Democrats assaulting Trump supporters. It was all chaotic.

What made me go Republican? There was a student in my school who I thought of as very smart and supported Donald Trump. I didn't want to lose a friend so I respected his opinion. He told me his reasons for supporting Donald Trump (I won't give his name for personal reasons). . . and they seemed reasonable to me; however, due to being Latino, I knew I was going to get backslash if I were to admit it.

Then, my government teacher made us all do research on both, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump- including both parties. That's where I've realized that most of my views aligned with the Republican side and Donald Trump. Still, I turned the blind eye decided to stick to Hillary Clinton and the democratic side. Time went by and the same government teacher asked the class what we do if the gay community were to start wanting to get married through the Catholic church. I immediately remembered my mom telling me that God created the male and female for a reason. So I raised my hand and told the teacher, "As a Catholic, [I believe]  God created the man and women for a reason. Meaning, chances are God would not approve of that. I have no problem having them get married through the government and stuff, but if they start messing with our tradition, our faith, then I have a problem." (Keep in mind that I've always questioned my faith, but my Mom is Catholic so I'd consider myself Catholic for her sake.)  My friend told me to shut up because I might get my "ass beat" - he said it to look out for me, not to threaten me.

Now, I've been starting to get really pissed off at the left for all the things they've done. What really made me mad, the final straw, the reason for my walk away were: the migrant caravan, Democrats not wanting to fund the wall, acting childish and then calling the president a child, for not knowing how to respect the president.

I'll admit, I didn't support the wall back in 2016, but after my teacher made us do our research, I've come to realize the wall is necessary.
Worst part about the whole thing, Democrats see me as a monster and say I'm against women's rights, against Latinos, against everything the US stands for. The Latinos, they see me as a traitor, even tell me not tell anyone I'm Latino because I'm dead to them and that I'm an embarrassment to Mexico. The few Republicans have to hide the fact that they’re Republicans because they'll get bashed on as well. So much for freedom of speech. Now I have to know who I can open up to as a conservative Latino. I have to be silent. But it's ok, I'll silently vote for Trump 2020.

This is my walk away story.”

Black Lives Matter explained by a former supporter, by Savvy, guest blogger

Savvy has lived in South Africa where she was a minority, and has bi-racial children, one who appears Caucasian, and one who doesn’t. She was briefly enamored of the BLM movement.  In her journey to Conservatism, she lost family and friends. Sound familiar? Here’s a list of the beliefs she has come to reject.

Belief 1: “IF YOU DON’T VOTE THE SAME WAY AS ME, YOU’RE A RACIST. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME ABOUT ANYTHING TO DO WITH RACISM, YOU’RE A RACIST.”

I had deep concerns about the racism of both candidates in the last election. If your side looks glossy white to you, while the other side looks like a pile of bird shit, well, get honest with yourself. Are you

1) using politics as a way to feel superior to other people and then

2) bragging that you are voting for the love of all humankind?

How can you say you’re better than Republicans and that you are loving towards all people? Those two attitudes are incompatible with each other. People don’t vote differently than you because they are bad people. It’s just an ad-hominem attack. Focus on ideas, debunk ideas if necessary, but character attacks benefit only you (and not for very long. They are bad for you, too.). Let’s say, for the sake of demonstration, I don’t think micro-aggressions are always valid concerns, 100% of the time. If you think they are, convince me using research, logic, examples of how they are. There is no way to prove I am not a racist to you if you are determined to think it. But if you are going to call me a racist, I challenge you to prove that I am a racist. If you’re going to attack my character, you should be ready to prove it with demonstrable evidence. If not, your argument is thrown out.

Belief 2: “VIOLENCE IS NOT PREFERRED, BUT PEOPLE CAN’T HELP IT WHEN THEY’VE BEEN IGNORED FOR SO LONG.”

This is the biggest problem I have with BLM. After every violent riot, BLM advocates share a quote by MLK about violence being the language of the unheard. The way they use this quote is dehumanizing. Minorities are just as capable of self control as all people. Having lower expectations for the black community does not raise them to the same level of equality and empowerment that white people experience. I have also been chronically misunderstood and unheard; I do not use my trauma as an excuse to burn random buildings, riot, or assault people I don't even know. Violence is not a tool to convince anyway; it just puts another person on mute. In contrast, respectful debate changes minds. And, no, setting random buildings on fire because you’re mad at another person is not self defense! It’s just being a part of a mob.

Belief 3: “IF YOU ARE NOT SURROUNDED BY DIVERSITY, YOU’RE A RACIST.”

A friend recently told me he was concerned his children would grow up with prejudice because our town is majority white. As the mother of biracial children, this concerned me (My 2 children are ¼ Asian, but one looks lily white and one looks even more Korean than my husband! As the BLM crowd says, one of them “passes for white,” and is “privileged.” Go ahead and throw the family history and heritage out the window to prove a point…). When I was a teenage American living in South Africa, I remember what it felt like when someone said they wanted to hang out with me because they wanted to see what Americans were like. All along, I thought she wanted to be my friend, and then I suddenly had that shock of feeling like an oddity. I never want my children to be used like that at playdates. Passing racism on to your children now looks like selecting your friends because they are black, or just not-white, in the name of diversity instead of liking who they are as a person. If you are a good parent, your kids have good chances of growing up to be decent people who can think through racism for themselves and settle into the belief that every person who has ever been born is equal in the eyes of God.

Belief 4: “IF YOU ARE WHITE AND YOU SAY NOTHING AFTER A MAJOR EVENT INVOLVING RACE IN THE NEWS, YOU ARE EITHER RACIST OR ALLOWING RACISM.”

After every shooting or riot, the constant pull is that you *have* to say something on social media denouncing racism. By now, if you are on my friends list and you don’t know if I’m racist or not, you don’t know me at all. Period. Allow people privacy, to be quiet, to grieve, to think, to process the way they do... Furthermore, it is especially difficult to stick your neck and say something when accusations of racism fly around at the slightest wrong step or unexamined attitude. The practice of denouncing racism nowadays appears to be more about signaling that you’re not a Republican.

Belief 5: “IF YOU ARE WHITE AND YOU ADVOCATE, YOU ARE STILL VALUING YOUR VOICE OVER THE VOICES OF BLACK PEOPLE. LET BLACK PEOPLE SPEAK.”

This belief is in direct opposition to belief number 5, but nobody cares that the Left is wildly inconsistent. White people are encouraged to take a day of silence or just in general not talk too much, because it’s black peoples’ turn to take the mic. Why can’t we all be vocal? The BLM answer is that whites have had the attention for centuries and their voices are more privileged than black voices, so it’s time to let black people take a turn. But any movement that allows a more free society will never silence your voice or anyone else’s. You were created unique by God, your voice is not the same as all white people, your thoughts matter as an individual, not a representative of your race. Free your voice. I owe credit to my friend for teaching me this bit--Any movement that does not empower your voice is not a movement for freedom. If we really want black people to be equal, we must all see them as being UP to the level of freedom, not move whites DOWN to the level of oppression.

Belief 6: “ONLY CERTAIN TYPES OF OPPRESSION COUNT AS OPPRESSION. WHITE PEOPLE DON’T SUFFER AS MUCH AS BLACK PEOPLE.”

Without getting too far into my own personal story, I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD. I’ve gone through EMDR therapy to help my body and soul move out of complex trauma. I do not want to use my story to get ahead in a political debate or prove my point in a way my opponent would look like an asshole for logically refuting me, but so many in the BLM movement (and maaaany other people today) do that with their own stories. They use their wounds as a way to verbally pound someone in a debate, or as excuses to take up actual weapons without the need for self defense. Many people, of every colour, have gone through tremendous suffering and trauma. To you that have, your story of suffering is too precious to use it politically or to one-up others. Guard it and keep it safe from that. If you are tempted to use it that way, focus on what aspect of your heart still needs healing.

Belief 7:  “SINCE WHITES HAVE A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE TOWARDS BLACK PEOPLE, I AM COMPLICIT AS A MEMBER OF THE WHITE RACE.”

Differentiation from my family history was a hard-won battle for me in therapy. I sat on that couch and I sorted out who had done what and what I was and was not guilty of. I am not guilty of the sins of my relatives. Why would I then be guilty of the sins of a few more generations up? Why would I even be responsible for apologizing for something my relative did? I am done carrying the shame of other people’s evil. I am not undoing that difficult healing work any time soon. I am also ¼ Native American. Am I also guilty for the sins of any of my Cherokee and Cree ancestors? Or just my white ones? How does that work?

Belief 8: “NO WHITE MALES NEED APPLY.”

So often, we hear that to “progress” we need to “move into the future.” Has the past taught us nothing? Do we think people made signs like, “No Irish need apply,” or “Whites only,” because they woke up one morning and decided to be a monster? Or maybe they felt there was a good, logical reason for discriminating? Maybe modern day Leftism is just as deceptive. What I do know is that when I look at little white boys and think that people will assume someday that they have an unredeemable character, I know that is discrimination.

 I know that is wrong. So I’ve walked away.

(Posted at the WalkAway website, where former Democrats, progressives, Marxists, socialists, and the totally confused or apathetic, share their stories. )