We are all accustomed to the proverbial saying about an inch turning into a mile, but when I was first elected to my position as State Representative I was enlightened to a new version of the proverb.  My wise son said to me at that time, “Dad, be aware if you give them an inch, you will never get the inch back.” I was thinking of this as I prepare for the coming legislative session, and the opportunity we have to turn the tide in our state with the new leadership we have.

For the entirety of the past four years, we conservative Republicans have been playing defense, constantly striving just to stave off the “creeping” of weakened views that cede territory a little at a time trying to maintain a cooperative spirit.  While there have been some proactive efforts to combat against loss of our traditional values, the bulk of the time has been consumed by defensive postures and activities.  I am reminded of a concept from my school days in the 70s about “creeping socialism,” which warned of subtle changes that would result in our waking up to find things very different than we intended.

Another lesson is the one about the frog in the pan of water on the stove. This parable warns us that if we sit in the pot with a low temperature for very long our environment gradually changes to the point that it kills us. We live in a very volatile and dynamic time, and while nothing cataclysmic has occurred in recent years, we nevertheless are experiencing a warming of the water that must be addressed.

I say this because this is our time to rise to the occasion.  The recent election was a screaming of “we the people” that said to us in the elected arena that the water is getting uncomfortable and “we” want the fire turned off.  We must govern to the voice of the people, and clearly, they are telling us they want us to stop giving the inches and push back against the dramatic changes in society that media would have us believe are the will of the people. We conservative leaders need to take these next few years to reclaim the turf we have given up. We have already begun to be assertive in the Special Session legislation and the bills that are being filed in this Regular Session. We must continue the unified front that we showed in the Specials and pass legislation that will stop the lack of growth and prosperity in our state.

Phillip Tarver is the State Representative from District 36, Calcasieu Parish, and the Executive Officer of the Louisiana Freedom Caucus.