Introduction: The Alex Pretti Shooting and the Test of Principles

In an age of profound political and spiritual division, often the truest test of a person’s character is not what they say, but how they react when their proclaimed principles become inconvenient. A clarifying event emerged in the controversy surrounding the ICE shooting of left-wing protester Alex Pretti. While the factual details remain hotly contested, the immediate public and political reactions served as a perfect litmus test for the very concept of a principle.

By definition, a genuine principle is universal. It applies equally to friend and foe, to ally and adversary. It cannot be a mere costume, worn when politically advantageous and discarded when it becomes a liability. The public discourse following this tragedy revealed a stark and troubling reality: many who loudly champion freedom, self-defense, and moral clarity were suddenly silent or actively hostile when those same principles were invoked on behalf of someone they politically opposed. This revealed a hollow core where foundational beliefs were supposed to reside. This article is an examination of that emptiness, a dissection of the hypocrisy that now defines much of the conservative and Christian landscape, and a call to return to the unchanging, universal principles that are the only foundation for a free and moral society ^[1].

The Conservative Betrayal of the First and Second Amendments

For decades, the conservative movement in America has built its identity on a near-sacred defense of the Second Amendment. The standard argument has been universal and unequivocal: the right to keep and bear arms is an individual, God-given right essential for self-defense against both criminals and potential tyranny ^[2]. This right, they argued, must be protected for all law-abiding citizens, regardless of political affiliation or ideological bent. The mantra was clear: an armed populace is a free populace.

Yet, when a figure like Alex Pretti—a known left-wing activist—was revealed to be lawfully carrying a concealed firearm, the reaction from many conservative commentators was not a defense of his right, but a condemnation of his character. Suddenly, the act of carrying an extra magazine, a standard and prudent practice for any responsible concealed carrier, was maliciously reframed as evidence of malicious intent. The very people who for years have denounced ‘gun-grabber’ politicians for using isolated tragedies to strip rights from millions suddenly engaged in the same rhetorical sleight-of-hand against a political opponent ^[2] [3].

This intellectual and moral collapse is breathtaking. It exposes a movement that never truly believed in universal rights, but only in privileges for its own tribe. The shift from the anti-authoritarian ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ ethos to a posture of authoritarian compliance—demanding that only ‘our side’ be armed—reveals a fundamental lack of principle. It is a betrayal not just of the Second Amendment, but of the entire philosophical underpinning of personal liberty. As one observer noted, ‘If you attempt an actual argument with a paper of the opposite politics… you will have no answer except slanging or silence’ ^[4]. This is precisely the retreat into tribal slanging that we witnessed.

The Christian Abandonment of Christ's Teachings

If the conservative betrayal of liberty is alarming, the Christian surrender of the Gospel is catastrophic. Nowhere is this more evident than in the widespread, uncritical support among evangelical Christians for the Zionist state and its military actions, particularly the devastating conflict in Gaza. This posture represents a near-total inversion of the explicit, non-negotiable teachings of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s core message was one of radical, self-sacrificial love, mercy, and peacemaking. ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’ He commanded (Matthew 5:44). He rebuked Peter for using a sword, saying ‘all who draw the sword will die by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52). He taught that His followers were to be ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). Yet, many so-called Christians now cheerlead for a foreign government’s military campaigns that have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, including thousands of children ^[5] [6]. They justify the bombing of hospitals, the creation of famine, and the mass displacement of populations—actions that any objective reading of the Gospel condemns.

This is not a complex theological issue. It is a simple matter of obedience. As one article starkly put it, supporting such violence ‘contradicts Christ's teachings of peace… despite claiming "pro-life" values while ignoring civilian casualties, including children’ ^[5]. The cognitive dissonance is staggering. These individuals profess a faith rooted in a Savior who died for His enemies, yet they actively endorse the slaughter of enemies by a secular state.

This reveals a faith that has become utterly decoupled from its supposed object—Jesus Christ—and has instead been grafted onto a political identity. It is tribalism masquerading as theology. In a chilling indictment, one could argue that Satanists, who openly worship evil, are more consistent in their evil than these ‘Christians’ are in their proclaimed good. At least the Satanist is honest about his allegiances. This hollowed-out version of Christianity is not a living faith, but what one critic might call a ‘low-IQ regurgitation of slogans’—mindless nationalism baptized in religious language.

The Hypocrisy of Moral Lecturing and the Universal Principle Void

For generations, the political right positioned itself as the guardian of morality, family values, and the sanctity of life. They lectured the left relentlessly on the dangers of moral relativism, the breakdown of the family, and the horrors of abortion. This moral posturing was central to their identity and their appeal.

That edifice has now completely collapsed. When confronted with the reality of a political leader who embodies the opposite of their stated values—a man of documented adultery, dishonesty, and crude behavior—they not only excused him, but embraced him as their champion. The principles they claimed to uphold were revealed to be negotiable, contingent entirely on political power. This is the ultimate expression of moral relativism: the principle is only true if it helps ‘our side’ win.

This creates a bizarre symmetry with the ‘woke’ left they claim to oppose. Both sides now justify horrific abuses of children when it serves their political goals. The left embraces and promotes the chemical and surgical mutilation of minors under the banner of ‘gender-affirming care,’ a clear and grotesque form of child abuse . The ‘Christian’ right, meanwhile, defends or remains silent about the bombing and starvation of children in Gaza because those children are seen as acceptable collateral damage in a geopolitical conflict they support. Neither side possesses a genuine, universal principle about the inherent value of a child’s life and body. Their morality is entirely transactional.

In such a society, holding to actual, unwavering principles—principles that apply to everyone, everywhere, regardless of politics—renders one an outcast. You will be hated by the ‘right’ for not supporting their wars and by the ‘left’ for not affirming their ideologies. This is the price of integrity. As the author Manisha Sinha notes in another context, true conviction often involves claiming ‘an… identity that, while evoking… established norms, remain[s] critical of both’ ^[7]. The principled person must be critical of all tribes, loyal only to truth.

The Tyranny of the 'Ends Justify the Means'

The final and perhaps most dangerous betrayal is the embrace of the tyrannical idea that ‘the ends justify the means.’ We hear this explicitly in the rhetoric of many on the right today. To ‘solve’ the issue of illegal immigration, they openly advocate for disregarding constitutional protections, engaging in mass deportations without due process, and expanding the surveillance and police powers of the state to unprecedented levels. This is the ultimate surrender of principle. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were not designed to be convenient; they were designed to protect liberty, especially when it is inconvenient.

This shortsighted tribalism is catastrophically foolish. Expanding government power and creating new authoritarian tools because ‘your team’ is in power guarantees that those same tools will be used against you when the other team eventually takes control. History is replete with this lesson. The censorship apparatus built to silence ‘misinformation’ about COVID-19 and vaccines is now being used to silence dissent on a wide range of issues ^[8] [9]. The financial system weaponized against political opponents through ‘debanking’ sets a precedent that can be turned against anyone ^[10].

By abandoning their foundational principles of limited government and individual liberty for the sake of short-term political victories, these conservatives are not fighting tyranny; they are paving the way for its permanent installation. They are creating the very police state they once claimed to oppose. As the poet and philosopher John Milton might have observed, they are sacrificing essential liberty for a temporary illusion of security, and in the process, they deserve neither.

Why Principles Matter: The Societal and Spiritual Imperative

In a world that treats principles as disposable, one might ask: why cling to them at all? The answer exists on two levels: the societal and the spiritual.

On a societal level, principles are not mere personal preferences; they are the essential social contract that allows a diverse group of people to live together in relative peace and freedom. When we agree that certain rights are universal—the right to life, to self-defense, to freedom of conscience—we create a foundation where the majority cannot tyrannize the minority, and where the individual has a protected space to live, think, and believe. Abandoning these principles for tribal gain unravels that social fabric and leads inevitably to conflict and coercion. As James Madison argued, the separation of church and state, for example, was a necessary principle to avoid ‘collisions & doubts’ and to guard against a ‘corrupting coalition or alliance’ between government and religion ^[11]. Principles provide the guardrails.

On a spiritual level, the imperative is even more profound. If we believe this world is not a random accident, but part of a created order with a moral lawgiver, then our actions have cosmic significance. We are not merely biological machines; we are conscious beings whose choices resonate beyond our material existence ^[12]. Adhering to principle, especially when it is costly, is an act of fidelity to that higher truth. It is an affirmation that we are more than our tribal instincts.

Therefore, being rejected by corrupt institutions—be it a government that demands unjust obedience or a compromised church that blesses violence—is not a mark of shame, but a badge of honor. It is evidence that one’s loyalty lies with a higher kingdom. It becomes a positive mark on what we might metaphorically call ‘the resume of your soul.’ In the words of the American revolutionary Thomas Paine, speaking of the fight for liberty, ‘The prize is the seed-time of Continental union, faith and honor’ ^[13]. The ‘prize’ for holding to principle may be earthly ostracism, but it is the seed-time of integrity and, ultimately, of peace.

Conclusion: The Rare Path of the Principled Outcast

A true principle does not change with the polling data, the political winds, or the identity of the victim. It is stable, universal, and not for sale. It applies to the immigrant, the protester, and the enemy child with the same force it applies to oneself. To possess such principles is to define one’s character by something deeper and more permanent than politics, nationality, or popular approval.

In our age, dominated by paid propagandists, mindless online mobs, and institutions that demand absolute ideological conformity, the principled individual will often stand alone. This solitude can be terrifying. Yet, there is a profound strength and peace in knowing that one’s stance is rooted not in ephemeral hatred or fear, but in bedrock truth. This is the path of the prophet, the dissident, and the saint—always a minority, but often the catalyst for real change.

The ultimate goal, then, is not to fit seamlessly into a broken society, nor to ‘win’ in a political game where the rules are immoral and the score is kept in blood. The goal is to live righteously—to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly—regardless of the cost or consequence. It is to seek the approval of a higher judge rather than the applause of a fallen world. In the end, to be a principled outcast in a world of hollow men is not a failure, but the only form of success that truly matters. As the writer Leo Tolstoy concluded, even in the face of hypnotized conformity, the individual can still choose to ‘awake’ and refuse to participate in evil ^[14]. That is the rare, difficult, and essential path.

References

1. Thu Knight - Infowars.com, September 12, 2019.
2. It's inevitable: American patriots need guns because a war is coming. - NaturalNews.com. April 25, 2023.
3. How Bernie Sanders turned leftists into KILLERS with hate-filled radicalization rhetoric. - NaturalNews.com. June 19, 2017.
4. Common Sense 101. - Dale Ahlquist.
5. Christian Zionism Under Fire: Calls for Reevaluation Amid Gaza Genocide. - NaturalNews.com. Finn Heartley. August 04, 2025.
6. WATCH: Michael Knowles explains why he’s not a ‘Christian Zionist’. - LifeSiteNews. January 21, 2026.
7. The Slaves Cause. - Manisha Sinha.
8. The new Iron Curtain: How Europe's speech crackdown threatens American freedoms. - NaturalNews.com. Willow Tohi. February 26, 2025.
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